“Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.” — Nehemiah 8:2-3 (NLT)
>> Sign up here for Sports Spectrum devotionals sent right to your email inbox <<
Ezra was an Old Testament leader who was among the Jewish people returning to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon in the fifth century B.C. He was tasked with reestablishing worship in the newly-rebuilt temple and teaching God’s Word to the people (read his story in Nehemiah). It was no surprise that he wisely began with a public reading of God’s Word (Nehemiah 8:1-12). In the New Testament, Paul reminded Timothy about the importance of reading Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13).
The daily interaction of a person with the Word of God is considered a “noble” investment. The Christians in Berea set the pattern that we should follow, individually and collectively: “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” (Acts 17:11).
In the early 2000s, at the height of steroid use in baseball, one of the Detroit Tigers players called me over to his locker. As a young Christian, he kept a Bible on the top shelf of his locker. As he grabbed his Bible, he asked, “What does the Bible say about steroids?” It remains one of my all-time favorite questions. While the word “steroid” does not appear in the Bible, God’s Word has much to say about applicable principles, such as obeying authorities in our lives and honoring God in our bodies, among others.
It’s noble when a person goes to the Bible as the primary filter for all matters of faith and practice in life.
— Jeff Totten, Detroit Tigers chaplain
If you would like to submit a devotional, please email all submissions to
devotionals@sportsspectrum.com.
Click here for all Sports Spectrum Daily Devotionals
>> Purchase “The Increase 52 Week Devotional” to further grow your relationship with Christ <<
>> Dive more into God’s Word with Sports Spectrum through the YouVersion Bible App <<
