Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Acts 17:32-34
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed.
Paul received a complete range of reactions to his speech to the Areopagus. Some laughed, others wanted to hear more and yet others became believers. You couldn’t get a more varied response than that! First of all, there were those who laughed with contempt. They found the idea of the resurrection absurd. It is never pleasant to be laughed at, but Paul knew that the Christian message will always seem ridiculous to some people.
Other people were sufficiently stimulated by Paul’s message to want to hear more from him at a later date. When people first hear the Christian message, it often comes as such a surprise that they don’t know how to take it all on board. They need time to stop and reflect. We need to be very patient and continually willing to talk with people about their questions and doubts.
And, finally, some people believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus. How thrilled Paul must have been that one of the members of this distinguished body should make a commitment to follow Christ. And remember that Paul had never intended to be in Athens at all! He was merely waiting around for a few days while Silas and Timothy caught up with him. Paul’s eagerness to share the good news of Jesus was unceasing.
Question
How would you support someone who was being mocked for their faith?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to share Your good news with other people, whatever their reaction. Amen

Acts 17:22-23
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.
Paul must have been delighted to get an opportunity to speak to the Areopagus. This was a highly respected body which brought together the leading thinkers of Athenian society. I love the graciousness and sensitivity of Paul’s approach to them. He wanted to build a bridge with these learned people. He observed that he had been looking around the city and noticed that they were very religious. They would have loved that. But he went further, remarking that he had come upon one particular altar which was “to an unknown god”. I am sure that his hearers were flattered by the care with which Paul had surveyed the situation, and they were all ears.
If we are to speak compellingly to our society, we too need to build a bridge. Attacking people, however wrong they may be, is never a way of building a relationship! Paul’s sensitive approach didn’t mean that he watered down his message. He simply ensured that what he said made sense to his hearers. Having built a bridge, he was then able to get to the heart of his message and urge his hearers to repent. We have much to learn from this. Most people in our society have not a single clue about the Christian message and we need to communicate by starting where they are.
Question
How could Paul’s approach help us as we share the good news?
Prayer
Loving God, help us to speak relevantly and clearly to our society. Amen

Acts 17:17-18
[Paul] reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him.
We have much to learn from Paul. When he went to a new place, he normally visited the synagogue first. There he would find not only Jews but also people who were interested in the faith but hadn’t made a full commitment. It was clearly a good place to talk about his faith, and he was ideally qualified to speak with understanding to both Jews and Gentiles. But he didn’t leave it at that. He also went regularly to the public square. That was a more random activity, and I love the way that Luke records him meeting those “who happened to be there”. As if that wasn’t enough, he also entered into lively debate with the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. Paul was delighted to engage in debate with all of them.
Paul teaches us the need for flexibility in our approach to spreading the good news. We will of course talk about our faith in our churches, but we need to be continually looking beyond. Two thousand years ago, Jesus told His disciples to “Go”, and He still does! We need to take the good news of Jesus to coffee shops, pubs, places of work, retirement homes, youth clubs, social media and wherever people meet. Just like Paul, we need to grab every opportunity to speak about Jesus.
Question
Can you think of a new place where you could speak about Jesus?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you that You have given us such wonderfully good news to share. Amen

Acts 17:16
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
We have no reason to think that Paul intended to spend time in Athens. He was merely there for a few days while he waited for Silas and Timothy to catch up with him. The threats to his safety had got too serious in Berea, so he had been escorted south to the relative safety of Athens. He surely needed a good break after the dangers and pressures of the recent months of ministry. However, Paul wasn’t one for holidays, so he spent his time walking around the city reflecting on all that he saw. Politically, Athens had become far less significant than it had been in the past, but it was still a leading centre of culture. It was famous for its sculpture, literature and philosophy, and Paul was clearly fascinated by all that he observed - but also deeply distressed. The city was full of temples and images of pagan gods, and Paul, who had been brought up as a very strict Jew, was alarmed.
I find this a deeply challenging verse. We too live in a society which is full of idols, and it seems to me that the Church is hardly troubled by this at all. We have come to accept that that’s just the way it is – unfortunate, but just one of those things. Vibrant Christian evangelism and mission occurs when the Church wakes up and feels, as Paul did, deep distress at the idolatry of society.
Question
What are the main idols in contemporary society?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to open my eyes to our world’s desperate need for You. Amen

Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Every preacher longs to meet people like the Bereans. They were really open to the Christian message, but they didn’t simply accept everything that Paul and Silas had to say. They looked carefully at the Old Testament scriptures to make sure what they had been taught was right. Having been a preacher for many years, I can’t tell you how much I love it when people question what I’ve said. Although I will always seek to write and teach carefully, I’m far from perfect, and I need to be kept on my toes.
I encourage you to get to grips with the Bible. If these daily notes help you to get into God’s word, that’s great, but don’t leave it there. I would always encourage you to do more digging. It is particularly valuable to get to grips with the whole Bible. Some parts are easy to understand and bring immediate encouragement. Others are harder work and you will need to spend much more time to understand their meaning. But it is all the word of God, and you will gain enormous blessing from getting to know it better.
We are all different, and there isn’t one right way of studying the Bible. What matters is that, like the Bereans, we are open-minded and always eager to learn more.
Question
What are you doing to get to grips with the Bible?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Bible. Help me to appreciate it more and more. Amen