A-poe-la-pi is an elderly Akha, a member of a hill tribe people who live on some mountain ranges in China. During a missions trip, my friends and I visited A-poe-la-pi. He said to us, “Due to the downpour last night, I couldn’t make it to the gathering. Could you share with me God’s Word?” You see, A-poe-la-pi is illiterate, so the weekly gathering is the only way for him to take in Scripture. As we shared, he listened intently. And his earnest attitude reminded me that when we listen to or study the Bible to gain the wisdom of God, we honor Him.
In Deuteronomy 4, Moses called the Israelites to “listen carefully” to the “decrees and regulations” that he would teach them (Deuteronomy 4:1). He reminded the people that the source and inspiration behind the teaching was none other than God Himself: “The LORD spoke to you from the heart of the fire” (Deuteronomy 4:12); “He proclaimed his covenant” (Deuteronomy 4:13); “The LORD commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations” (Deuteronomy 4:14).
Mahatma Gandhi, though not a believer in Jesus, gave us a wake-up call: “You Christians have in your keeping a document with enough dynamite in it to blow the whole of civilization to bits, to turn society upside down, to bring peace to this war-torn world. But you read it as if it were just good literature, and nothing else.”
Instead, remembering that all Scripture is “inspired” by God (2 Timothy 3:16) can help us approach studying it with a sense of urgency. It can draw us to truly want to know what it teaches and to seek to carefully follow its instruction. That’s the attitude A-poe-la-pi exhibited—an example for us all to imitate.
Today, may we seek the wisdom found in Scripture and the God who inspired it.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Mark 4:1-29
More:
Read Psalm 119:1-18 to rediscover how you can honor the God of the Bible.
Next:
From the way you read, listen, and obey God’s Word, what does it tell the world around you about your view of Him? Why is it vital that we delve into its wisdom each day?
Mike Wittmer on July 9, 2015 at 7:46 am
This reminds me of what Martin Luther said, that the gospel must not only be read but heard. Something powerful happens when another speaks to us the Word of God. This is why Protestant churches ever since have emphasized the preaching of God’s powerful Word.
Tom Felten on July 9, 2015 at 8:37 am
Poh Fang, I’ve always admired the way the Bereans sought to know the wisdom of Scripture, as found in Acts 17:11. They tested the teaching they heard based on what God’s Word presents.
joycemb on July 9, 2015 at 10:22 am
A very good word for us all, Poh Fang. Thank you. Am I reading the Word of God to promote my own agenda of using it to tell others how they should act, or am I using it to learn more about this wonderful God we serve and how I can please Him? I will be thinking about this today…..