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Read: Acts 17:26-28
Listen: Acts 17

“For in him we live and move and have our being.” As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.” Acts 17:28 

As Paul continues to describe the one true God to the people of Athens, he talks about how creation and all of history are not random. God created the world and orchestrated history so people might reach out to him. He wants people to reach out, but not because he is lonely or lacking in anything. He wants people to find him because he loves people, and to find him is an invitation into life, joy and blessing.

Every human relationship is, to some degree, selfish. A relationship with God is different. He does not need us, and yet he wants us for our benefit. He wants us to experience life and joy in him because he is generous. The ultimate expression of his generosity and the ultimate invitation to a life of joy is through Jesus Christ. God sent his son to become a human being and give his life for us. Jesus’s death on the cross shows the drastic lengths God was willing to go to for us to have a relationship with him.

TODAY: Consider the generosity of God and his willingness to send Jesus to die for you. If you have not accepted the free gift of salvation, consider doing so today. Pray like this: “God, thank you for loving me and sending your son to die for my sins. I repent of my sins and give you my life today.” If you are a follower of Jesus, pray a prayer of gratitude for all that he has done for you.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read Psalm 69. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Consider how verses 19-21 point to Jesus’s experience on the cross.