Luke's record of Paul's travels mentions something special about the Bereans. "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" (Acts 17:11, Emphasis mine DVR). They stood out because they were willing to take the time to study. I remember studying this passage once in a Bible class when the teacher explained that "daily" didn't mean every day. He obviously didn't see the need for studying our Bibles every day. I asked him if the doctor told him to take his medicine "daily" would that mean every day or every other day or once or twice a week. I have before me Webster's Elementary Dictionary For Boys and Girls. It defines the word "daily" as "Happening, done, or issued every day; as, a daily bath; a daily newspaper.-adv. Every day; day by day.-n;" (p. 165). Hence if the Bereans searched the scriptures "daily" that means they did it every day.
Shall we let the Bereans condemn us? If those who are not Christians can do it, why can't we? Could it be said of us that we are somewhat different in that we study our Bible daily? Why can't we have the attitude of the man David described saying, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night" (Ps. 1:2).
Many Christians do not study their Bibles every day. I've known of some who couldn't even find their Bibles when time came to go to worship. They leave their Bibles in the car or at the meeting house all week without ever picking it up except on Sunday and Wednesday night. We can find time to read the newspaper every day, watch our T.V. programs and the evening news every day, but we can't always find just a little time to spend with our Bibles.
May I suggest to you a few reasons why you should study your Bible daily (every day).
1. You just might learn something. I'm impressed as I read Nehemiah 8 with the fact that we might and can learn something that we did not know or have forgotten by just simply reading. When Ezra read from the "law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel" they found "that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month" (Neh. 8:14). This they had not been doing. So their reading helped them to learn what they needed to do. (See also Neh. 13:1).
2. The scriptures tell us more about Jesus. Jesus said to some unbelieving Jews, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). Here Jesus was speaking of the Old Testament scriptures (the law and prophets) which were a witness to the fact that indeed Jesus is the Son of God. The New Testament also testifies to that fact. The more we study (either O.T. or N.T.) we will see more and more evidence of the Deity of Christ.
3. This is how we obtain faith. We ought to study our Bibles daily to increase our faith. Our faith comes from hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). The more we read and study the greater our faith will be. Suppose one Christian only studies his Bible on Sunday and Wednesday. Another Christian studies his Bible every day. Which one do you suppose would have the greater faith?
4. We will be judged by this book. Suppose you were about to be tested, and if you pass the test you will win a million dollars. Your test will be over the material in a certain textbook. How often would you study that book? Once a week? Twice a week? Or every day? My friend the time will soon come when we will be judged by the words of Christ (John 12:48). However the thing we anticipate is far greater than all the money in the world - HEAVEN!
5. To see if the things we hear are so. That is the very reason the Bereans studied every day. They wanted to see if what they heard from Paul was true to the scriptures (Acts 17:11). That ought to be our attitude. Don't accept a matter just because some preacher or Bible class teacher may say it is true. If we would just have the attitude, "Let me see if my Bible teaches that before I will believe it and practice it," many problems and divisions will be prevented in the Lord's body.
6. Because of the love we have for and the delight we have in the law of God. This was David's attitude all the way through Psalm 119. David had a superb love for the law of God. He loved it above fine gold. Notice a few of these verses in this chapter (vs. 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 72, 92, 127, 165). If we had that same attitude toward the law of God - I think we would find ourselves studying our Bibles day by day. Listen to David, "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day" (v. 97).
Many other reasons could possibly be given, but this will suffice for the Christian who wants to please God. I am bothered by the fact that many Christians do not see the need to study their Bibles every day. Let us learn to spend some time with our Bibles before we ever lay our heads down to sleep. After all, what reason would you have for not studying your Bible daily?
- Searching the Scriptures, Sept. 1982