The Nugget:
Acts 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. (KJV)
Acts 17:11 The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true. (CEV)
Acts 17:11 The Jews there were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with all eagerness and carried on a daily study of the Scriptures to see if Paul’s message was true. (Williams NT)
My Comment:
In my last post (Daily Bible Nugget #495, 2 Peter 3:18), I mentioned that I had learned that there are “three legs” that are necessary for us to grow in our Christian life: (1) Bible reading and study, how God talks to us; (2) prayer, how we talk to God; and (3) fellowship, witnessing and soul winning, how we speak for God to others and others to us.
A stool requires at least 3 legs to stand up. That is an illustration of how the Christian life requires the three elements of Bible reading and study, prayer, and witnessing in order to fulfill the command of 2 Peter 3:18 to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Just as our physical body requires proper food each day for us to be healthy, so our spiritual life requires the food of God’s word found in the Bible on a daily basis.
In my experience, I found reading the New Testament for at least twenty minutes a day ultimately changed my life. I attended a rigorous high school for the talented and gifted, and I had three hours of homework nightly. I determined to read the Bible for twenty minutes before starting on my homework each night. I remember watching the hands of a large green alarm clock with its two bells and clappers. When twenty minutes was up, I wrote down on a paper book mark the chapter and verse where I left off, and continued from that point the next day.
My point is, I made time for Bible reading every day no matter how busy I otherwise was, and that determination is what led to my experience of accepting Christ as my Savior while delivering papers on Saturday, November 7, 1953.
As I read my Bible, concentrating at first on the New Testament, I noticed a number of very striking verses. I had a New Testament that I marked these verses by underlining them. I also marked in the margin verses on particular topics, using a simple system of using letters for subjects, like “P” for prayer, “F” for faith, and so for many other topics. Then I sometimes went through the pages of my pocket New Testament and read all the verses I had marked for a particular topic. This became a way for me to do topical Bible study, and it helped me understand the message of the New Testament better.
So, I would encourage you to read the Bible daily, and also study the Bible by topic from time to time, just as I did. If I could do it as a teenager, surely anyone reading here can do the same today.