What’s In The Package?
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As a sequel to yesterday’s devotional entitled, “Is Christ Enough?“, the story was told of a man who was travelling from England to America on a trans-Atlantic trip for the first time. He bought his ticket, packed his belongings and readied himself for the trip. Being a person of very humble means, he knew he could not afford the restaurant food on the ship, so he bought himself some biscuits, to live on during the trip.
At meal times each day during the trip, he would see people happily chattering and trooping to the restaurant; and watch them with envy, wishing he was as wealthy as they were. There were times that the aroma of good food from the kitchen was so overwhelming, but he would look at the little amount of money he had and hold himself back.
With time, he became friends with one of the other travelers, and they used to spend time chatting and sharing their experiences. But the new friend noticed that anytime it was mealtime, this man simply withdrew to his cabin. He found it a bit strange, but opined it might be for health, religious or other reasons, and brushed it aside.
Many weeks into the trip, they were having a particularly interesting conversation on the deck one day. And when it was lunch time, the friend not wanting to end the conversation because of lunch told him:
"Would you do me a favor? Why don't we continue this conversation while I have lunch?"
But the man very sadly answered him saying,
"I don't go to the restaurant because I cannot afford it. I don't want to humiliate myself by seeing all the good food, yet I cannot buy them."
The friend then looked at him very surprised, and told him:
"I thought you were holding back for some sacred or religious reason. The food is part of the package you paid for when you bought your ticket!"
The man had suffered for weeks because he did not take the trouble to know what was in the package he paid for!
Unfortunately, a lot of Christians are like that. They either do not know what was in the package they got when they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; or depended on others to tell them, and were misled.
READ Acts 17:11-12
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. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
(Acts 17:11-12 NIV)
It is interesting to see what some translations said about the Berean Jews in place of “more noble character” as found in the text we just read : more noble (KJV, Darby), more open-minded (NLT, TLB), more noble and open-minded(Amplified Bible), more receptive (NRSV, ISV), more generous-minded (J.B. Phillips New Testament).
They were being described this way because they received the message — the Gospel — with great eagerness; and also examined the scriptures to see what Paul was saying was true.
But my favorite translation of this text is however from The Message Bible: It says
They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The Jews received Paul’s message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said. A lot of them became believers, including many Greeks who were prominent in the community, women and men of influence.
One of the things the Bereans did, was to examine the Scriptures to see if they supported what Paul said. And they were said to have treated Paul “a lot better!”
This is contrary to what pertains in our context, where you are perceived to treat people better, and with utmost respect, when you don’t validate or critique what they say! This has led many into exploitation, exposure to demons, untold hardship and destruction. Hosea 4:6 (NKJV) says:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.”
Refusal to acquire knowledge does not only lead to your destruction, but affects your family too; in very dire ways.
Let us not be like the man on the trans-Atlantic voyage, who was living on biscuits when his ticket entitled him to the entire restaurant meal.
What’s in the package for believers? Do you know it?
We need to search the Bible.
MEMORY VERSE
“In all your getting, get understanding.”
(Proverbs 4:7)
QUESTIONS
- Are you a believer?
- Do you know what Bible says about the entitlements of believers?
PRAYER TIP
Father, please help us to know that we have everything in You, and need no other. In Jesus’ name.
URGENT CALL
Every soul is valuable to God, far more than the entire world! But by nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God, and we ultimately face his wrath!
God in His mercy and love made a way for us to remedy this. He gives us a chance to reverse this downward spiral to destruction, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God! A soul, much, much more valuable than the world, has been saved from destruction!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer”
for guidance if you want
to make that decision.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page, or the ones at the top of this page. Don’t delay. Make this very personal decision today!
God richly bless you
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website.
We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.
We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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