Being Ready For God's Word

Being Ready for God’s Word

This devotional was published in Turning Point, Wednesday, May 28, 2025

“Acts 17:11 [The Berean’s ] 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.

Many churches have a tradition of standing as a congregation when the Word of God is read during the Sunday worship service. This practice may be based on Nehemiah 8 when Ezra the priest read God’s Word to the assembled crowd of Israelites in Jerusalem: “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up” (verse 5).

Recommended Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-9

The people standing for the Word of God signified two things. First, it was an act of
honor. The people had returned to Jerusalem after seventy years of exile in Babylon,
and they honored God by honoring His Word (verse 6).

Second, it signified their willingness and readiness to shape their lives and practices
around God’s will for them. Their actions foreshadowed the actions of Paul’s Jewish
audience in the Berean synagogue as they searched the Scriptures to verify what
Paul was teaching them.

When you read the Word of God, do so with honor and a readiness to obey.”

Heavenly Father, we wish to honor and respect your Word and your will when we also stand for the reading of scripture. Help us to center our worship of you as we do that. In the Name of Christ- AMEN