Receive - I

How Can We Receive Instruction?

MEMORY VERSE

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:5

REFLECTION

Think for a moment about some of the most familiar passages and stories in the Bible: Creation, Adam and Eve, Joseph, Jonah, the birth of Christ, Paul on the Damascus Road. Consider a time when you heard someone from a different culture or with a different life experience speak about one of these passages? Did you find yourself seeing a perspective you had never before considered?

As we follow Christ, we can make the Gospel small when we fail to acknowledge that our cultural preferences can skew our interpretation of God’s instruction. Ultimately, the theological principles we take from God’s word should have relevance in the inner city of Los Angeles, the suburbs of Cape Town, the boardrooms of Tokyo and to the ends of the earth. If what we learn from the word of God is only relevant to a particular audience, then we have failed to truly grasp what God is teaching us through the Bible.

God has, in His immense grace, given us instruction through His holy word. As we receive this precious gift, we have a responsibility to ask Him for wisdom—wisdom to understand His scripture, wisdom to look past the lenses of our own particular experience or culture and drink deeply of the all-encompassing word of God.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

Can you think of a time that you heard someone explain Scripture or saw them obey Biblical teaching and it opened your eyes to what the passage was really saying?

How did this expand your understanding of God’s word and your ability to fully receive His wisdom?

ACTION STEPS FOR THE WEEK

Pray that God would give you wisdom as you seek to know Him more through studying scripture.

Who are your friends from other cultures and life experiences who are followers of Christ? Next time you are together, share with them what you are reading in the Bible and ask for their insights. Listen and receive.