Don't Make Excuses, God Sees Through Them All.

 How often should we study God's word? Daily. Where will you be in eternity? If your hope is heaven doesn't it somehow seem appropriate that we should be studying the Word given to us by our God, daily. We will be living with Him for eternity and if we can't spare time to study His holy word now when we have access to it, what makes us think we'll want to spend eternity with Him? Don't make excuses, God sees through them all. Pray earnestly for a desire to seek Him daily in His word. We have to pray for this because Satan will give us all sorts of excuses to not study. 

Joh_5:39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

The Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica. Why were those living in Berea more noble? We aren't left to wonder, we are told. They were more noble 'in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so.' 

Act 17:10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 

Act 17:11  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. 

What scriptures did they search? The only scriptures they had, the Old Testament writings. What were they trying to ascertain in their daily searches? They were trying to find the words being preached to them by the Apostles - in the Scriptures. They wanted to see for themselves the truth in the sacred word of God. They weren't going to be fooled into believing someone without searching God's word. They didn't want to be deceived. These Bereans wanted to know only truth. They heard these amazing words being spoken, a sermon they weren't used to, this was different, the message was different. How foolish they would have to be to simply take the Apostles word for things. The Apostles wanted the people to search out the truth for themselves.  Any person can tell you new and exciting things that you eagerly want to believe are true, but if there is no weight behind those things they are no good at all. We call people fools who believe everything they hear. Why? Because you could tell them anything, even lies and they'd believe them. When someone takes what is told them and searches for the truth in what they've heard they are being very wise. 

I never want a single person to believe anything I say without studying things for themselves. Study, find out whether I am speaking truth or lies. If a person dismisses things they hear without studying for themselves whether something is true then they are closing themselves off from truth. In reality they are putting blinders on themselves. They may be choosing the traditions of man over the truth of God. Many people simply do not want to study whether a thing is so. They might like their beliefs just the way they are without anything interfering. If the Bereans had that attitude would they have listened and studied, searching the Scripture DAILY? No. In fact many people did chose not to listen, not to study and Jesus wept over the hierarchy of the Jewish people knowing they were refusing to walk in the truth.

After Jesus rose he disguised Himself from being perceived as the Messiah and talked with a couple as they traveled along a road and He had this to say…

Luk 24:25  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 

Luk 24:26  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 

Luk 24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 

Beginning at Moses and all the prophets - Jesus taught them from the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Jesus taught them from the Scriptures- the Old Testament was the only Scripture they had, no other whatsoever.  Jesus went to the Scriptures and pointed out every verses concerning Him. The Bereans were being told the gospel, the good news of Salvation in Jesus Christ, but they wanted to know more about this Jesus and salvation. They did not want to know by word of mouth, but in the books they believed with all their heart were written by God through Holy Men of His choosing as the Holy Spirit guided them. Was this Jesus the Messiah, truly? They had to find proof, and so DAILY they searched for the proof in the Scriptures.  They believed in the Messiah being Jesus Christ ONLY through the Scriptures-the Old Testament. Can you say you would believe in the same way? What Scriptures in the Old Testament do you know speak of the Messiah? Jesus, used ONLY the Old Testament writings to reveal the truth. Surely we should be able to search the Old Testament in the same way, right? If not maybe we should be searching DAILY for the truth. Daily- every day. There are so many things you do on daily basis, so many and yet searching the Scriptures daily isn't often one of those things- it should be. 

 

The “I Am” in whom Abraham rejoiced was Jesus (John 8:56–58).

The Lord who motivated Moses was Christ (Hebrews 11:26).

The Redeemer who brought them out of Egypt was Jesus (Jude 5).

The Rock in the wilderness was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).

The King of Isaiah’s temple vision was the Son (John 12:40–41).

Gen 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 

Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 

Joh 12:40  He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 

Joh 12:41  These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. 

And always remember Jesus told us to pray for daily bread… and He is the bread of life. Daily we are to search the truth of our Savior.