Scripture: what stood out to me in this chapter was almost everything, but to pick a verse I will use verse 11 ” now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

Observation:  interesting contrast between the Jews in Berea and Thessaloncia. This was a culture of people that knew and studied their scriptures, and yet the Thessalonians argued, threatened Paul and stirred up trouble. I like the word “noble”, some other translations say “noble character”. There are many preachers and churches that examining the scriptures to see if what was said to be true would be considered a huge slap in the face. it would be seriously frowned upon. But not so with Christianity. We are supposed to not blindly follow any preacher, but ensure what he/she said is correct according to the Word of God. Abiding in God. We are mere men, after all, prone to mistakes now and then. This, to me, just proves again the authenticity and truth of the Christian faith. It’s never about a man, it’s always about God.

I also found it amazing what lengths Paul went to on the streets to get the Word out there. Incredible.

Application:  One thing I will easily admit is that I do not often “examine the scriptures to see if what was said was true”.  Part of my weekly discipline should be to do so after a sunday message. I will intentionally do that for the next message.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for this simple but profound truth. God, shield my mind to untruths when spoken, give me discernment to distinguish false teaching. Lord, help me to be noble in character. Thank you for the rain you’ve blessed us with this week. In Jesus name, amen!