Learning and Understanding

Good Morning, dear reader. I was struck by the simplicity of our reading in Acts today. Philip asks this gentleman if he understands what it is he is reading. This could actually be interpreted in two ways. Do you KNOW what you are reading!?! In other words, do you know the importance of what it is? Or, he could simply be asking if the man understands the words written and what they mean. As the conversation continues, the man gets the impression that what he is reading is of some importance. So he asks Philip who it is that the passage is being written about. The man wishes to be taught about the bible and about Jesus. As Philip helps the gentleman read through these passages, he is converted right there and declares that he wishes to be baptised! 

This is often how it goes when people are introduced to Jesus and to scripture. They have a thirst for knowledge and understanding that can only be found in faith. I was that way when I started learning about the bible. I love to learn. I can be like a sponge. The bible I had been using at that time had become well worn. There were page markers, bookmarks, highlights, underlines, pieces of paper, you name it. You could tell how often I used it and learned from it. That's what we all should be doing. Don't be afraid to mark up your bible. Put your own notations in it. These are all things that will help you as you read through it. 

John's Gospel continues on with the Bread of Life discourse. Jesus keeps repeating this so that everyone will understand that God is the giver of life and that those who believe in Him also believe in Jesus, which can give us eternal life. "Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from Him comes to Me" (v45). This is why we need to understand what is written in the Bible. We listen to God's word, and His teachings. We can then begin to understand the importance of Jesus Christ. 

This was my hope in starting this blog. To help myself gain a deeper understanding of my faith, to keep me close to Jesus, and to give me something positive in my life. I also hoped that maybe I could help others learn of Jesus and His words and teachings. I would gladly spend time discussing all things faith. So, dear reader, if you ever have any questions or just wish to talk about something, feel free to leave a comment, or even email me. You can also reach out to me via social media. I don't have dedicated social media accounts for Everyday Faith because so far I have zero followers on my blog. But I will leave a link to my Twitter account that I use for this. And always remember, dear reader... be a nice human.😇

Father Bill's reflection on today's readings: https://youtu.be/-dqe5JOibco

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lruthanne67

Email: ljwhitworth67@gmail.com