"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." Paul of Tarsus in Acts xvii, 25-26
God determine the exact times and places for all us, that's what Paul, the first century ex-“Jewish jihadist" told us in a passage in Acts 17. I believe it. The next question for us is: then what? The story above has more weight when we read the whole passage in Acts 17 and understand the context. He was talking in the city center of Athens and probably to a group of very proud and educated crowd. Athens, by then, was already a highly advanced city both culturally and economically. It was probably also the most liberal and religious, the most festive and hip, and many other contradictory attributes typical of a cosmopolitan city -- not unlike New York today or Paris a hundred years ago.
What Paul was really saying to the Athenians then was: it is not what they are doing or where they are living that would determine their purpose in life. They could live in a melting pot city like Ephesus, in a religious center like Jerusalem, or even in smaller villages of Galilee but only God could set a true purpose in life. God’s purpose for the Athenians, and all of us today, is still to seek Him and reach out to Him. A good plan, but will we do it?
That’s what I am reminded again lately as I am about to move to a new unknown place. I am so thankful for my life in the last ten years and for the church that God had placed me in. During those times and in that place, I accepted Christ and was able to seek God more in my life. More importantly, now, I can say that I know how to reach out to God in my personal life. If I haven’t achieved anything in the last ten years but just the revelation that we can each reach out to God personally in our life; that would be enough. Or like a friend at church likes to say, that's bloody cool!
God determine the exact times and places for all us, that's what Paul, the first century ex-“Jewish jihadist" told us in a passage in Acts 17. I believe it. The next question for us is: then what? The story above has more weight when we read the whole passage in Acts 17 and understand the context. He was talking in the city center of Athens and probably to a group of very proud and educated crowd. Athens, by then, was already a highly advanced city both culturally and economically. It was probably also the most liberal and religious, the most festive and hip, and many other contradictory attributes typical of a cosmopolitan city -- not unlike New York today or Paris a hundred years ago.
What Paul was really saying to the Athenians then was: it is not what they are doing or where they are living that would determine their purpose in life. They could live in a melting pot city like Ephesus, in a religious center like Jerusalem, or even in smaller villages of Galilee but only God could set a true purpose in life. God’s purpose for the Athenians, and all of us today, is still to seek Him and reach out to Him. A good plan, but will we do it?
That’s what I am reminded again lately as I am about to move to a new unknown place. I am so thankful for my life in the last ten years and for the church that God had placed me in. During those times and in that place, I accepted Christ and was able to seek God more in my life. More importantly, now, I can say that I know how to reach out to God in my personal life. If I haven’t achieved anything in the last ten years but just the revelation that we can each reach out to God personally in our life; that would be enough. Or like a friend at church likes to say, that's bloody cool!