The Joy of Glory

Acts 17:16-34 (click here)
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “In him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17:24-28)

Reflection
What has God given you?

That question reminds me of a book I used to read to my daughter, Talitha, nearly every day. It was about the moon boasting about his own brightness.

By the end, the moon realizes that he possesses no light of his own, but simply reflects the light of the sun.

Are we not just like the moon?

Everything we have is a gift! Everything! Every breath… every movement… every ounce of our being. Truly, in HIM we live and move and have our being! And if everything we have is a gift, then we have nothing in which to boast! 1 Corinthians 4:7, “…What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

This reality should lead us to worship! Not because God needs something from us! He is the giver, not the “getter” in this relationship. That is Paul’s point in Acts 17 as he preaches to the Athenians on Mars Hill. God has given us everything… he is not far from us… he is our everything… he is our boast!

We are just like the moon. We have no light of our own. We are made to reflect the sun.

What has God given you and me?

EVERYTHING!

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.