Contemplative Bible Reading

Acts 17:27 (New Living Translation)

27 His (God’s) purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

Paul is speaking to the educated people in Athens. Paul is telling these smart folks about the God that created everything. I find this all fascinating as it is a case where smart but ignorant people are listening to an explanation of how the entire universe works.

God’s purpose in all of history was and is for people to seek God—to look for God—sometimes feeling their way in the dark as they are inexplicably pulled towards God until they find God.

God is here. God is there, yes, everywhere. Still, God is not inside every person. Each person has to find God and allow God to enter them. That is simple, yet it is something that I cannot understand on some days. It is too amazing to comprehend.

Paul, speaking as a Jew, was telling these Gentiles that God the creator (YHWH or Jehovah) was not longer just for the Jews, but was for everyone. That is why God’s purpose was for the nations—all us Gentile groups—to seek after God and find God.

Perhaps I fail to explain this well. I am to go to God. I am to accept God’s terms. God welcomes all who come to God. But, hey, okay there are a few things I want to keep, that will be okay with God, right? Well, wrong. Go to God. Leave everything behind. Gosh, that doesn’t seem fair. Let’s negotiate on that, you see there are some things that are really important to me and I want to hold onto them and… No. Come to God.

Please God, help my in my unbelief.