"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few."
They did not only listen to the Word of God and accept it with eagerness and ready hearts, but they also checked with the Bible all the time to make sure that what they were being told was true. Is that what we do when people teach us about the Word of God and point us to parts of the Bible? Do we even bother to check when we are told to? I know I am a culprit in this sometimes but I strive to make it a point to act like a Berean when ever the situation presents itself.
Besides God did not instruct Paul to include this little portion about the Bereans in this book of Acts for nothing. It is because our Great and Mighty God knew that His people in the future generations will forget to check with His Word anytime they are referred to it, and so could be easily misled. So Paul had to include this very short, and I repeat short story into the Book of Acts as a reminder and instruction to us children of God.
You see, God does not do things without a reason. He does not just make mistakes. He provided us with the written Word, physical and true, so that the false prophets and the hypocrites will not cause us to stray from the straight and narrow road (although filled with a lot of pot-holes and bumps). He is indeed our Provider, Jehovah Jireh! God loves us so much that He cannot see anyone of His children fall. So at every point in our lives, He provides us with something that will keep us from stumbling, or even staying on the ground too long after falling. That is why it is important that the Word of God becomes our reference point at all times in our lives.
Be like the Berean, and make sure that no matter how convincing a preacher, a friend or even an enemy may sound, the Bible remains your reference point since it holds all the Truth in the world. It is the only truth that is not relative to anyone (TOK). It is the absolute truth. Make the Bible your best friend. Oh and lest I forget, when you hear the Word, ask God to open up your heart to receive it with all eagerness and excitement, not forgetting to check with the Book of Truth, just like the Bereans did, and I think your passport into the city of Berea, as a temporary citizen will undoubtedly and without hesitation be approved!
God bless you as you continue living for Christ!! <3
No comments:
Post a Comment