2 Key Elements for a Fruitful Daily devotional Time
Intro
Two Key Elements of a Fruitful Daily Devotional Time
The example from the Berean Jews
In Acts 17 Paul and Silas travel to Berea and speak in the synagogue. The Bible tells us how the Jews there received their message:
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. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. Acts 17:11-12
When we are thinking about how to conduct our daily devotional time we have a couple of examples from the Berean Jews which would be good for us to follow.
The First Element of a Fruitful Daily Devotional Time
The first characteristic that drew my attention was ‘eagerness’.
The Berean Jews were keen to hear what Paul and Silas had to say, and even though it was a new message they did not dismiss it.
When we come to read Scripture in our daily devotional time we need to come with eagerness. This should not be a duty, part of our daily tasks which we simply cross off our ‘to do’ list.
We should begin our daily quiet time with prayer, thanking God for his word, and yearning to meet with God and hear from him.
In the Bible, our response to God’s Word is often compared to eating food. We don’t usually think of eating as a chore, but rather an enjoyable and necessary part of the day. We value food and look forward to it.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. Job 23:12Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation. 1 Peter 2:2
If you have ever seen a newborn baby drinking, you will know what eagerness is! We need to have this desire towards our Bible Study.
The Second Element of a Fruitful Daily Devotional Time
The next thing I noticed about the Berean Jews was that they ‘examined the Scripture daily’.
They did not just listen to Paul and then dismiss what he was saying because it wasn’t in line with their current beliefs (as many others had). Nor did they blindly accept Paul’s message because it ‘sounded good’.
They referred to their Scriptures (the Old Testament) to see if what Paul was saying was true. And then made a decision based on their findings.
We need to do this in our own Bible Study. Often, we can be more dependant, and put more weight on, what the Devotional notes or the person preaching says than the words of Scripture themselves.
Instead, we should be examining Scripture to make sure that what we are reading or hearing is in line with God’s truth. We need to be open, like the Berean Jews, to learn from the Scriptures and maybe even change our view or understanding.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
You can find some resources and tips to help you with examining the Scriptures in these other posts:
Here are some devotionals and Bible Studies to help you develop a desire for the Bible and to examine its words: A devotional accompaniment to the new Television Series ‘The Chosen’; a Bible Study from Beth Moore on 2 Timothy; and the Search the Scriptures Study Guide to the Bible.
A Final Note on a Fruitful Daily Devotional Time
While we put into place these two elements of a fruitful daily devotional time – eagerness and examining the Scriptures daily – I’d also like to point out two other actions made by the Berean Jews. They received the word and believed it. It is all very well to approach God’s Word with eagerness and examine what it says, but in order for it to be fruitful, we must believe it. This is what made the Berean Jews ‘noble’ compared to some other people Paul and Silas had met on their missionary journey.
