25 - Connecting w/ God

Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
CONNECTING with GOD
Day  25 | THE ONE TRUE GOD
THE ONE TRUE GOD

Acts 17:22-23
“So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: ‘Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: “To an Unknown God.” This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.’”


Here we have the beginning of Paul’s message to the “men of Athens,” about the one true God that Paul knew and wanted them to know.  Paul also went into the Temple to reason with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles and, additionally, he spoke in the public square.

Notice what the inscription that Paul noticed said: “To an Unknown God.”  Paul KNEW this God and was determined to tell the Athenians about Him.

How many today are missing the ONE true God and are looking for Him in all the wrong places?

It’s interesting to me how things have not changed much from then until now.  Yes, the technology has changed, but the human attitudes and need for God have not.

Today – as back in Paul’s day – mankind has a “God-shaped hole;” an innate longing of the human heart for something outside of itself, something transcendent, something “other.”


Ecclesiastes 3:11 refers to God having placed “eternity in man’s heart.”  You see, God made mankind for His purpose and only God can fulfill our desire for eternity.  ALL religion is based on man’s desire to connect with God.  This desire can only be fulfilled by God and therefore likened to a “God-shaped void” within us.

The problem is, of course, that mankind – and the Athenians to whom Paul was talking – attempt to fill this void with things OTHER than God.  Today, that list of “things” would include: sports, entertainment, business, family, new cars, houses, jewelry, money, success and on and on.  Now there’s not necessarily anything WRONG with any of these things, but, when they take the place of God or make us too busy to worship God and grow our faith in Him, then they are wrong.

It’s a matter of priorities.

Jesus said it simply… “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  (Matthew 6:33)

How are you doing?  Are you connected?  Are you seeking Him FIRST?

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for putting other things in front of You.  Sometimes, they just seem to slip in, and I guess that’s the subtle way the Enemy works in our lives.  Help me to keep my priorities straight and to seek YOU and Your righteousness FIRST, and then all the rest will fall in line.  Amen.