We pray you have been blessed by this daily devotion. If you received it from a friend, you can see other devotions and studies by visiting our website at www.awordfortoday.org.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 18, 2021
“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.” Acts 17:16-21, WEB
Children are very curious and they manifest that curiosity with questions. Some of the questions are simple like “What are you doing?” or “Are we there yet?” But the person who answers those questions quickly learn that the simple answers are not enough. They are often followed with the inevitable, “Why?” They want to know why we are doing something, or why it takes so long, or why something is the way it is. One question often leads to dozens more increasingly difficult questions. When faced with something like the death of a pet, the child doesn’t simply want to know what happened to them, they want to know why. These are tough questions to answer, especially when we are having our own difficulty facing the death of that loved one.
But questions are vital to the growth of a child. This is the way they learn. It is the way they share their feelings. This is the way they socialize. In the earliest years, children only know what they need, and they quickly find ways to indicate their needs to those who care for them. But they see others communicating so much more, so they begin to seek information about the world around them. The color of the sky might not seem very important to an adult, and the true scientific answer might not even be necessary. The question itself reveals that the child is observant of the world and that he or she is learning. They have to know that the sky is blue before they can ask why!
While questions might be vital in those early years, we should not stop asking questions as we get older. Perhaps we think we should know it all, or we think we do know it all, but we never stop learning. Questions help us to grow, they help us to see the world through other people’s points of view, they help us to experience the world in a whole new way. A question like “Why is she making a left turn?” might help us to learn a new way to an old place.
It is good for us to ask questions of faith. What’s the point of Bible study if we don’t question the things we read and the thoughts of others? We learn more about God by asking one another about the way they see and understand Him. Our point of view, or that of our friends, might need to be better developed. Sometimes our thoughts are completely upside down, but through sharing our questions and our answers, we come to a better understanding of both each other and the God that we love.
The problem is when we let the questions we ask create a sense of doubt and uncertainty about God. When we disagree about certain aspects of the Bible, we begin to wonder, “If I’m wrong, then what will happen to me?” When we start asking questions like, “Have I done enough?” or “Can I be forgiven for this sin?” then we not only doubt ourselves but we doubt God.
The questions we ask are good, but there is only one that truly matters, and it is this: “Do I believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior?” If we can answer “Yes” to that question, then nothing else truly matters. The rest just helps us grow in faith and knowledge and relationships in this world. God has promised that the breach between us has been repaired though the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. We will have questions for our entire lives, but as we trust in God’s faithfulness, we will see that those questions are never a matter of salvation. Then we can ask without fear.
Paul was sent to Berea because the Jews of Thessalonica rejected the Gospel. They refused to even check out the scriptures to see if the message Paul was sharing was one worth considering. They refused to ask any questions. They were so against the good news of Jesus Christ that they threatened Paul. The Bereans were different. They heard the Gospel, but they went further. They searched the scriptures to see that what Paul said was true, and God’s word cut deep into their hearts. Many people in Berea were converted to Christianity and God made a real difference in their lives. We are called as people of God to be like the Bereans. We should never accept something someone has said at face value, whether we think it is good or bad, but we should instead search God’s word to know what He has to say about it. Whatever our questions, God provides the foundation of our faith and the answers we need to know the truth. .
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org.
|