Acts 17:10–12: “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”

April 14th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Paul and Silas had to leave Thessalonica because the Jews were stirring the people up against them. When they arrived in Berea, they found the Bereans more receptive to the gospel. We see 3 things these Bereans did that we should make a habit of doing in our own lives. They received, researched, and responded to the things they heard about the word of God.

1) They “received the word with all readiness.” The original word for received means “to rush forward with anticipation, expectation, and receptivity.” When it came to the word of God, the Bereans had an enthusiasm and a hunger in their hearts for it. They were excited about hearing what God might have for them. The psalmist captured this idea in Psalm 119:103: “How sweet are Your words to my taste, / Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” God will certainly speak to us, but only if we listen for Him. That still, small voice of the Holy Spirit can be crowded out by the clamor of the many voices of the world flooding our minds. That is why we must give time and concentration to listen for God to speak. We must focus in on Him as we come to fellowship, still our souls and eagerly anticipate an encounter with God. Openness is essentially the willingness to grow combined with a distaste for getting stuck in ruts. Refuse to yield to the tyranny of the inevitable.

2) They “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Earlier these believers had decided to base what they believed was right and wrong on Scripture. God’s word is what we need to stay on the path of life. As Paul later wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16–17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We notice a continuous practice in their lives, as they were daily in God’s word. There is a parallel between staying in the word daily, and how God fed the Israelites daily with manna in the wilderness. Everyone was required to collect their own manna and only fresh manna was edible. If you tried to live off of yesterday’s manna, you ended up eating worms. The Bereans spent time every day in God’s Word. We all need daily, fresh manna.

3) “Many believed.” Why? Because they studied the Old Testament Scriptures and found that Paul had preached truth. They listened, researched, were convinced of God’s truth, and then they responded to it. They were not merely hearers of the word but doers (James 1:22).

“LORD, we desire to receive, research, and respond to Your Word today.”