Devotional:Search the Scriptures:Acts 17:10-12

“Now these were noble minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NASB).

The COVID-19 pandemic and its variants delta and omicron; Putin threatening to invade Ukraine, an unstable economy, and an increase in violent crimes are just a few of the problems in the news today. Where do people; especially Christians get their news from? Some people watch the news on conservative news media. Others watch the news on liberal news media. It seems that more people today get their news from social media. These sources of news not only tell the news; they also give their perspective on what the events in the news mean and how people should respond to the news. When Christians consult their news source, do they also search the scriptures to see if the scriptures have anything to say about the events and problems that they face? Do the scriptures have anything to say about our personal problems, our national problems, and international problems?

The apostle Paul had been traveling to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel proclaimed that a man named Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. He died on a cross so that people could be saved from their sins and be reconciled to the only true God. As he traveled and preached the gospel, Paul was met by opposition from both Jews and Gentiles alike. The gospel conflicted with the views of the Jews about God, the Messiah (Christ), and especially the law given by Moses. The Gentiles did not believe in the God of the Jews. The gospel was a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.

As Paul and his companions traveled, “they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews” (Acts 17:1, NASB). The Jews in Thessalonica objected to the preaching of the gospel. After a violent protest by some of the Jews, Paul and Silas were sent away to Berea. “They went into the synagogue of the Jews” (1:10). Unlike the Jews in Thessalonica, the Jews in Berea listened to what Paul had to say. They did not reach any swift conclusion about the news that they were hearing. Instead, they listened to what was said and then they searched the scriptures to see if the preaching was true or false according to the scriptures.

Do the scriptures have anything to say about the events that are taking place in our world today?” Are you a Christian that listens to the news and come to a conclusion based on what people say? Does your news source take into consideration what the scriptures say? If you answer “No,” I suggest that you search the scriptures. You may be surprised that the world’s news sources have a different perspective on things than what the scripture, the bible, the word of God has to say.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the scriptures that tell us about your role in world events. Amen.