Thursday 4 August, 2016

2 Comments/in /by

Acts 17:10-15

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 The Berean Jews were very glad to receive Paul’s message. They studied the Scriptures carefully every day. They wanted to see if what Paul said was true. So they were more noble than the Thessalonian Jews. 12 Because of this, many of the Berean Jews believed. A number of important Greek women also became believers. And so did many Greek men. 13 But the Jews in Thessalonica found out that Paul was preaching God’s word in Berea. So some of them went there too. They stirred up the crowds and got them all worked up. 14 Right away the believers sent Paul to the coast. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. 15 The believers who went with Paul took him to Athens. Then they returned with orders that Silas and Timothy were supposed to join him as soon as they could.

Discouragement can so easily creep into my thinking when I don’t see any results from telling people about Jesus. It seems opposite to what Jesus said in Luke 10:2 about the harvest being plentiful ie there are many people ready to become Christians. Sometimes I feel like “where is the “harvest” Lord? Where are the people that want to hear about You?”

It’s a question that I think Paul may have asked in Thessalonica. And God’s beautiful answer came in verse 11 of today’s passage…

‘And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica.’

The answer to the discouragement of “Thessalonica” is “Berea” ie the next town, or just next door, or just a little further down the street. Jesus was right – the “harvest” is plentiful. If it’s not, I know I’m close. I need to break some rocks in prayer for the field I’m in, plant some seeds that someone else can harvest later on and then simply look around. The harvest will be closer than I ever expected!

Heavenly Father, thank you that you are The Lord of the Harvest. Jesus, you asked me to pray for workers – please let me be one of them. Help me not get discouraged in “Thessalonica” but find people like those in Berea. Amen

Written by Boudy VanNoppen

2 replies
  1. Andrew Mellor says:

    Thanks Boudy, this was really good to read this morning. It very clearly breaks down our responsibility, God’s responsibility and the responsibility of those we share with. A liberating word!

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