Daily Devotional for Friday, March 17th

The Points in the Sermon

“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him,
though he be not far from every one of us,” Acts 17:27.

Standing on Mars’ Hill in Athens, Paul addressed the Greek philosophers gathered there. Being himself well versed in Greek thought and philosophy, he delivered a logically sound explanation of the Creator God whom they “ignorantly worship” with their monument “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:23). Paul took that opportunity to reveal God’s character “that they should seek the Lord” (verse 27).
God, the Lord of Heaven and earth, created the world and everything in it, and therefore cannot dwell in man-made temples. “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?” (Isaiah 66:1). If He cannot be contained in the Temple at Jerusalem bearing His name, He certainly cannot be contained elsewhere. He is not worshiped by anything man fashions, such as monuments or temples. God does not need anything from mankind. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and is glorified by praise, not sacrifices (Psalm 50). We do not supply him with anything, but he supplies us with everything.
Paul leveled the playing field with verse 26. God created all mankind from one man, all nations from one. No one is higher or better than another. “Neither in nature nor in grace, neither in the old creation nor in the new, is there any room for ideas of racial superiority” (F. F. Bruce). God designed man’s dwelling place before ever creating him. Paul turned the words of two Greek poets to God. God is close and findable, but He is not found in gold, silver or stone images. That time of ignorance is over. It is time for repentance because judgment day is coming.

THOUGHT: “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth” (Psalm 145:18)

Kelli Reynolds