EXPAND TO READ: ACTS 17 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 16): I guess You are speaking to my heart today about false idols around me. When I read this verse, I think about all the times that I too walked into situations of many false idols being “worshipped” by those around me. The vast majority of the time I never really thought twice about it and either brushed it off or unintentionally joined in. This wasn’t ever like actual worship like we do at church, rather it was more putting my focus and efforts more on something of this world than of You. Please forgive me for this, Father. Forgive me for ever putting anything above You in my life. Remind me daily that nothing in this life is ever worthy of being placed on a pedestal higher than Yours. Help me to remember to always prioritize things better in my life, so that You are always number one more than anything else.
PROMISE (verse 3): The promise here is quite simple and repeated often throughout scripture—Jesus IS the Messiah! Although I cannot fathom what He went through to fulfill this promise fully, I am so grateful that He did. You say that the Messiah HAD to suffer and rise from the dead and this is essentially the culmination of Your promise to us of our one true Savior in this life. Thank You for His sacrifice, His suffering, His resurrection, and His ascension into Heaven by Your side, Father.
ATTITUDE (verse 16): I feel this verse speaking pretty loudly to me today. I do struggle with priorities in my life and ensuring You are always number one in that list of priorities. Paul immediately felt his spirit was troubled when he noticed all of the false idols through Athens. I, however, would have likely walked into that situation in awe, amazement, and curiosity. This is not what You’ve called me to do or to be. You called us to have righteous discernment to be able to identify when things are starting to or maybe have already become idols in our lives and those around us. You’ve called me to have You always as my number one and sole idol in this life as I cannot be “all in” on my faith if I am spreading out my devotion, attention, and commitment to more than one idol in this life. Help me to be better at walking in an attitude of righteous discernment, Father, but also help me to be better at always ensuring nothing else competes with You in my life.
COMMAND (verse 30): You make both a promise and a command in this one verse. At the start, You promise that You will overlook the “times of ignorance” but then You quickly follow that up with a command that we are all to repent for that ignorance. I always find it fascinating how consistent You are, Father. In my quiet times, I’ve noticed that almost everything You have blessed us with first requires something to happen from our end. It could be as “simple” as simply giving full faith and obedience to You or it could be us taking actual action on something before we get the promise. That is the case here for sure. Although You have promised to overlook the times of ignorance, You have commanded that we repent of those times in order to receive this amazing grace from You. I must be better at taking the action necessary to do the things You ask of me and promise to me. Help me be better at following this command, Father. Help me to walk more in Your “I take action – You bless” way of living in this life.
EXAMPLE (verse 23): I find this verse to be a very odd example, but one that is needed. Paul is walking through Athens and noticed a shrine of sorts that is dedicated to “an unknown god.” Really? They essentially worshiped everything they could fathom or create in their minds and religion, but then decided to bring in the “participation trophy” of faith by including even “an unknown god” in their worship and idols. I wonder how often we do this as well. How often have I devoted my time and efforts to something more than I have to You without even knowing truly what I’m committing myself to? How often have I blindly walked through situations without actually thinking about whether or not I am glorifying You in those moments? Help me to no longer worship in ignorance, Father. Help me to no longer live out my faith in an ignorant way, so that as I mature in my faith, my old ways of living do not continue to bind me.
*DAILY NOTE: At first, the book of Acts seemed to maybe be a little tough for me from a reading perspective, but I am starting to really enjoy this book. The stories being told and the journey through their lives that has so many similarities to today is absolutely amazing. Thank You for revealing so many truths to me, Father, and revealing them in ways that make perfect sense in my brain. The more I learn about You, the more it makes sense to me that my faith is in the ONE TRUE GOD! The more quiet times I have with You, the stronger my faith becomes and the less doubts pop into my head over the course of a day. Please help me to remain consistent in my faith, Father, so that as You renew my mind, I can begin to access the grace to live my life faithfully, obediently, righteously, gracefully, mercifully, joyfully, and loving just as You have always been for me. Thank You, Father.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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