We Can Never Study Enough

Acts 17:10-12 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. 

 

Paul and Silas went to Berea…under the cloak of night.  Their arrest had stirred up trouble once again…and they had been begged to leave Philippi. They wasted no time when they arrived…going straight to the synagogue…teaching….and revealing the scriptures that proved Jesus to be the Messiah….to a group of very well educated Jews.

 

They listened intently to what they had to say…curiosity peeked to the max. And when Paul and Silas had finished …the Jews they had preached to… went straight to studying the scriptures for themselves.  They looked forward to Paul and Silas arriving every day...so they could hear even more of the scriptures that proved Jesus was their long awaited Messiah.

 

What a great reminder that God expects us to check out every sermon scripture…every Sunday School text…and every bystander’s advice against the Bible that He gave us to live by.  We are expected to know the scripture well enough to discern truth from false teaching at any time. We need to study His word…to learn new truths…to weed the chaff from the grain that feeds us.

 

I will testify that since I began writing these devotions my eyes and heart have been open to so much more of God’s word.  It is a big book…with much knowledge and wisdom. I also admit that I am convicted most mornings that I don’t spend enough time memorizing references….and placing God’s word deep in my heart so no man will ever be able to rob me of its wealth.  I needed the reminder to always check the source….any time I need to check a person’s statement against what God thinks.

 

One last thought. I realize as I write that I would not have a very complete copy of the Bible in my heart if someday my text copy …and all my notes and journals were taken from me. The Psalmist warned us in Psalm 119:11… to hide as much of it away in our hearts as we could…God can use it quicker if we don’t have to stop and look it up.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I will never finish my study of your Bible.  Forgive me for the times that I think I know something…or trust someone else’s presentation….and don’t take the time to check their thoughts against your great book. Forgive me for not taking the time to memorize and bury your word deep enough in my heart that if someone took my text copy away…I would still have enough in my heart to lead someone else to you…and encourage myself to not give up on you. Help me to have a new passion to learn your word…to memorize the wisdom you have placed there for me.  Amen.