Scripture
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
Reflection
Paul is addressing a crowd who doesn’t believe in just one deity, but in a multiple of deities. The Greeks worshipped all of them to ‘cover all their bases’, and just to make sure they have ‘covered all their bases’ they even worshiped a deity labeled ‘unknown god’. One of the underlying issues that are portrayed through this account is a deeper sense of trust issues. The Athenians didn’t believe in just one deity, because they didn’t have enough faith or trust for that singular deity to answer their prayers or petitions – hence worshipping a multitude of deities. However as a believer, we have the assurance that not only is Yahweh enough for us, but that He listens and answers our prayers. We can fully trust the Lord (Con).
Thoughts for the day
- Which area in your life do you need to trust God more?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- What is one way you can apply this truth to your life today?
- Who can you encourage with this story/message?
Prayer
Think of someone you know who could use a little joy in their lives and pray for presence of the Lord to rest on them. “In His presence there is fullness of Joy” Psalm 16:11
