Today’s Scripture: Acts 17:11, NLT- “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.”
Who defines truth for you? Is it the opinions of family and friends, social media, news organizations, the government, or the word of God? We all must be careful as to where we seek truth. Although we may think we are open-minded, seeking the truth from any source other than the Holy Scriptures is more than dangerous.
Information and sensory overload cause most of us to be overwhelmed and lazy-minded. Our cups are full of too much useless information and happenings. We may know what someone on social media ate for breakfast or see pictures of grand vacations, but if we do not invest the time to read the scriptures day after day our lives will not be full of truth.
We must have minds and hearts that desire to know God’s truth. Many social influencers are non- believers and are authors of their own confusion. We must fill ourselves with the truths of The God who made the world and everything in it. Paul points out in Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” (NIV)
With the massive amount of information available to us from humans today we must be careful not to fall into the traps as the Athenians and the foreigners mentioned in Acts 17:21 where all they did was talk about and listen to the latest ideas. There are no new ideas when it comes to faith. Read and re-read the scriptures and experience the living word of God.
If we are simply open-minded, our minds may become filled with all things contrary to the truth. We should allow God to define truth and not our understanding. We must return day after day to the Scriptures so that we come to know God and realize how intimately He knows our every moment.
We must be mindful that just as in the days of the Bereans, we still have agitators, writers, and speakers that stir up the people with falsehoods. It is disheartening to witness the “news” portrayers today who spew falsehoods. Just as in the days of Acts 17:6, it is still the Gospel of Jesus Christ that turns this world upside down. Just as Paul did in Acts 17:2, we must reason with others from the Scriptures.
If we want to be all we were designed to be we must read what God Himself, who gives everyone life and breath and everything else, has provided for us. In God’s Word we find what He has appointed for us. God has blessed the Holy Scriptures so that all who seek Him and reach out for Him will find Him. He is a lot closer to us than we realize as Paul promised in Acts 17:27.
In Acts 17:28 we are told that “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being. Do you want to live your life to the fullest? Search God’s Scriptures day after day and see what God has to say to you.
Today’s Prayer: Almighty God, You made the world and everything in it and You are the Lord of heaven and earth. Thank You for the Scriptures that You have provided to us through Your faithful servants. Help draw our hearts, minds, and souls to Your Word. Please guard our hearts, minds, and souls from those who hope to agitate and cast doubt. Welcome us into Your Holy Word and fill us with Your truths that define and guide us to who we are to be. In the powerful name of Jesus, The Christ, we are praying. Amen.
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