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. (Acts 17:10-12)

Learning Requires Effort

Lee Trevino was a professional golfer regarded as one of the greatest players in golf history. He won six major championships and 29 PGA Tour events with a lifetime of 92 professional wins. Trevino was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. His philosophy about golf is when he said, “There is no such thing as natural touch. Touch is something you create by hitting millions of golf balls.” Trevino knew the value of long hours in honing a skill to be as complete as possible. Winning 92 tournaments did not come by luck or birthright. He put in the effort to achieve the successes he enjoyed throughout his stellar career.

The apostle Paul reminded the saints in Rome that faith did not come by photosynthesis or osmosis. Faith did not come because of nationality, family pedigree, or sitting in a pew. A person was not lucky to have faith. Paul explained that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The Lord has never left the world without a revelation to know His will. In the early history of the world, God spoke to men in various ways by direct conversation, dreams, or visions. The Law of Moses was the written word of God for the nation of Israel. In these last days, God has spoken through His Son, Jesus Christ. The completed revelation of the will of God is found in the Bible. There is no other book that reveals the mind of God.

The challenge for man is to understand that the word of God cannot and will not enter the heart unless time is taken to read and understand His word. Faith comes by hearing. That is an act of the will to seek the word of God. Being religious will not bring faith. Acting like a religious person will not instill faith. Sitting in a pew week after week by itself will not cultivate the faith necessary to understand God’s will. A common mistake is believing what someone says without consulting the Bible itself. The faith of an individual stems from their effort to open the book, read, understand, and apply the message to their heart.

Measuring faith is to measure time spent in the word. If a person does not meditate on the word of God, their faith is vain. The more time spent in the word, the greater faith will grow. If there is no time spent in the word, there will be no faith. Hearing the word of God is the basis of faith. It is not miraculous or magical. If more people would read the Bible for themselves, there would be less false teaching accepted as truth.

Searching the scriptures daily is where faith comes. Every child of God must come to know the Father through the word. Like the Jews in Berea, fact-checking Paul took time and energy, but they were concerned enough about what God’s word said; they left no stone unturned. They took the time, put out the effort, and gleaned the scriptures daily to gain greater knowledge. That is how faith grows. Knowledge is power, and that power comes from a steady meditation on the divine word of God. A mind is a terrible thing to waste – a soul without the word of God is an eternal waste. Read the word of God. Study its precepts. Come to know the God of the Bible. He will introduce you to His Son!