Reading: Acts 17:22-31

Acts 17:27-28 – “In fact, God isn’t far away from any of us. In God we live, move, and exist.”

Returning to Acts 17 today we focus on God’s presence with us. To get the people of Athens to understand this, Paul begins where they are at. After walking around the city, Paul noticed that they are very “religious.” There are idols to many, many gods. He even finds one “To an Unknown God.” The Athenians are covering all the bases, just in case they missed one. This is Paul’s opening. He tells the council and others gathered to listen, “What you worship as unknown, I now proclaim to you.” Paul then begins to tell them about God, creator of everything. God is the giver of “life, breath, and everything else.” Paul is working towards God’s omnipresence – God everywhere, all the time.

In verse 27 Paul proclaims that God created humanity with a natural desire to seek him, “perhaps even reach out to him and find him.” This thought resonated with many of the Athenians just as it does today. We all want to understand life and to find meaning and purpose in this life. Paul speaks to this, saying, “In fact, God isn’t far away from any of us. In God we live, move, and exist.” God is near to us. In God we find all that we need. As he continues, Paul touches on an important aspect of faith in God. One cannot chase after this god and that god, seeking this here and that there. This has been the call to worship the one true God since the days in the wilderness. In verse 30 Paul tells the audience that God “directs everyone everywhere to change their hearts and lives.” To be in relationship with God, to experience God’s presence in Spirit, one must be willing to surrender one’s life to the Lord. Only through surrender do we experience the fullness of God’s love and grace. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to seek your presence today. Lead us to reach out to you. Guide our hearts to rest in your heart. In your presence may we experience the fullness of life – not only breath and existence but also meaning and purpose rooted in humility and service. Here we surrender all of ourselves to all of you. Receive us and change our hearts and lives each day, shaping us more and more into the image of your son Jesus. Amen.