– So it will be Received
Old Testament: Leviticus 26 & 27
Poetry: Job 3
New Testament: Acts 17
Acts 17 is very inspiring to me. Paul and his companions are traveling talking to others about God and our savior Jesus. They persuaded some Jews as well as God-fearing Greeks and prominent women. This made others jealous, causing them to make trouble for Paul and the believers. Paul did not stop talking, they went on to another city.
The people in the next city received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (vs 11). I pray that we have the the same eagerness that I imagine they had. I envision them diving into the Scripture and asking questions, strengthening their relationship with God. Can you guess what happens next? Yep, more trouble and they move on to another city.
In Athens Paul was greatly distressed to find the city filled with idols. I wonder how distressed he would be if he were to see the world as it is now. I know the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun and I don’t doubt that, but it seems that we have more to direct our attention away from God. We have more “things” to distract us from Him. I think that God had a plan with our reading today because Acts warns us about idols and so does Leviticus. Chapter 26:1 says “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.” We need to be very careful of what we worship and keep God at the center of it.
Going back to Paul’s journey, he spoke about the Messiah all over the city. Some people became followers and believed. We need to continue to speak out to others about our faith. I am not saying that we need stand on the rooftops and scream at the top of our lungs, but I am saying that we need to live each day with God in our hearts. People should be able to tell that we are followers of Christ by the way we act. If someone comes to us with something, do not hide our faith but share our love of God with others so they can have a relationship with Him as well. Who knows, you may inspire them to speak out as well.
-Jeani Ransom
Reflection Questions:
Do you have eagerness to learn and study the Scriptures?
Do you have any idols in your life?
If so, how can you remove them?
How can you share your faith with others?
Seek Grow Love 