MADE: Goodbook 09-10-12

Goodbook messages arrive every Monday, Thursday, and Friday with a Scripture reading and ideas for how to apply the reading in our lives. We are reading through the book of Acts. For additional Scripture reading, you can follow the Advanced Track.

Reading: Acts 17:24-27 24

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

Application:

Paul is speaking with a group of people in Athens. They are religious people, but they do not know about the one true God. In this dialogue, Paul shares a vision of who God is and what God is about.

God is bigger than any temple or worship area. God cannot be contained in something we build, for God created the whole world and everything in it. God does not need our help. We need God’s help, for God gives life and breath to everything.

God embarked on this whole creation and human project for this simple purpose: that we might seek him, reach out for him, and find him. That’s why you are here and why I am here – to seek God, reach out for God, and find everything we need for life and meaning in God. Once we find life in God, we are called to help others seek God, reach out for God, and find God.

So what can we do?

1) Seek and reach out for God. This is not a hide-and-seek game. God is near and wants us to find Him. Yet we often get so busy and distracted that we lose sight of God. So let’s make a point today to seek God and reach out for him. Pause right now and just remember that you are in the presence of God. Thank God for seeking you and reaching out to you. Take some time to read the Bible and pray. Ask for God’s wisdom and guidance. Think about how God is moving and working in your life. Talk with your family or your small group about God.

2) Help others seek, reach, and find God. You can share what you are learning about God with a friend, family member, or co-worker. You can join or start a small group. You can get involved with a ministry at church, like worship, education, or welcoming. You can plug into a ministry that moves beyond the church walls to address the very needs of our community and world. There is no greater gift we can give someone than to connect them with the God who created everything and gives life and breath to everything.

Share your comments and ideas about how to apply this...