🌱 A Warm Welcome

Welcome to our 365-Day Journey to Discover God!

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different religions in the world? Why do some people worship statues, others pray in temples or churches, and still others believe in an unseen spiritual power?

When we begin exploring faith, we may encounter a difficult question: If God really exists, how can we know what He is like? Are the gods people worship real, or are they ideas and images that human beings have created?

It's a question worth thinking about.

Today, we'll read from Acts 17. Nearly two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul visited Athens and saw a city filled with idols. Rather than simply criticizing what the people worshiped, he used their religious questions and beliefs as a starting point to introduce the God described in the Bible.

One of his statements is especially striking: The God who made the world and everything in it does not live in temples made by human hands.

Let's explore what Paul meant and why his words may matter to anyone searching for God today.

.

📖 Bible Background | What Is the Book of Acts?

Acts, also called the Acts of the Apostles, is a book in the New Testament. Traditionally attributed to Luke, it continues the story told in the Gospel of Luke.

The Gospel of Luke focuses on Jesus' life, teachings, death, and resurrection. Acts tells what happened afterward, describing how Jesus' followers carried the message about Him from Jerusalem to many other places.

Two important figures in Acts are Peter and Paul.

Paul, whom we meet in today's passage, had once persecuted followers of Jesus. Later, he became one of the most influential messengers of the Christian faith, traveling to different cities and speaking with people from many cultural, religious, and philosophical backgrounds.

In Acts 17, Paul arrives in Athens.

Athens was an important center of Greek culture and philosophy. The city had numerous temples and idols, and many people were interested in discussing religion and new ideas.

When Paul saw the idols throughout the city, he was deeply troubled. He began talking with people and discussing his beliefs with philosophers. Eventually, he was invited to speak at the Areopagus, a place associated with public discussion and judgment.

Paul had noticed an altar with the inscription "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD." He used this as a starting point to speak about the Creator whom the Athenians did not yet know.

Today's passage, Acts 17:24–29, comes from this speech.

🌿 A Look Back | From Knowing the Creator to Understanding Who He Is

Earlier in our journey, we explored several passages that introduce the Bible's understanding of God.

Genesis describes God as the Creator of heaven and earth. Psalm 19 invites us to reflect on the Creator through the beauty of the heavens and the natural world. Psalm 139 describes a God who knows people's thoughts, words, and everyday lives.

Together, these passages introduce God as more than an abstract idea. The Bible presents Him as the Creator of everything and as One who knows human beings personally.

But another question follows.

If God truly created the universe, can people make an image of Him with their own hands? Could a magnificent building somehow contain the One who made heaven and earth?

Paul's speech in Athens helps us explore these questions.

🔎 Today's Introduction | Can Human Beings Create a God?

Imagine walking into a beautiful, centuries-old religious building.

Inside, you might see carefully carved statues, elaborate decorations, and people gathered to pray. You may admire the architecture and wonder why people create physical images or sacred spaces as part of their religious practices.

Throughout history, people have tried to express their understanding of the divine in many ways.

Some have made images to represent the gods they worship. Others have built temples and places of worship where people can gather, pray, and participate in religious ceremonies.

But Paul raises a more fundamental question:

If God truly created the entire universe, how could He Himself be something made by human hands?

A person can carve a statue, but carving it does not bring a real god into existence. People can construct a temple, but they cannot confine the Creator of heaven and earth inside a building.

Paul isn't saying that every religious building is meaningless. His point is that the true Creator does not depend on anything human beings make.

This also invites us to consider a personal question: Are we searching for God as He truly is, or for a version of God shaped by our own expectations?

🎯 Today's Reflection Focus | The Creator Does Not Live in Temples Made by Human Hands

1. God Created Everything — He Is Not an Idol Made by Human Hands

Acts 17:24 says:

"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;"

Paul begins by describing God as the Creator of everything.

This introduces an important distinction: The Creator is not the same as the things He created.

Human beings can make objects from wood, stone, or metal and give them religious meaning. But according to Paul's teaching, the true God is not something people have made. Instead, human beings and the world itself owe their existence to Him.

When Paul says that God does not live in temples made by human hands, he isn't suggesting that people cannot worship or pray inside a building. He is saying that no building can contain or limit the Creator of the universe.

For someone exploring faith, this raises a question worth considering: If God really exists, wouldn't He have to be greater than anything human beings can build, describe, or imagine?

2. God Gives Life — He Does Not Depend on People to Sustain Him

Verse 25 says:

"Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;"

This is very different from the relationships we're familiar with.

Every human being depends on others in some way. We need food, water, air, and countless resources to survive.

But Paul says that the Creator is not like us. God doesn't lack something that human beings must supply in order for Him to continue existing.

Instead, the Bible presents God as the giver of life, breath, and everything we have.

This helps us understand that biblical worship isn't about providing God with something He needs.

Paul turns the relationship around: God does not depend on humanity for His existence. Rather, humanity receives life from Him.

Even if you're not sure whether you believe in God, you might consider this: If life really is something we've received rather than something we've created for ourselves, how might that change the way we see our everyday lives?

3. God Is Not Far from Us — We Are Invited to Seek Him

Verse 27 says:

"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"

This is one of the most encouraging statements in today's passage.

Paul doesn't describe God as someone who belongs only to one nation or can be found only in a particular religious building.

He tells the people of Athens that God made all nations and determined the times and boundaries of their lives. He connects this with humanity's opportunity to seek God.

Paul continues in verse 28:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being;"

These words express his understanding of the relationship between human life and the Creator. According to Paul, we do not exist independently of the One who gives us life.

In verse 29, Paul takes the idea further. If human beings owe their existence to God, then God's divine nature should not be imagined as an object made of gold, silver, or stone through human skill and imagination.

Notice that Paul doesn't begin by demanding that the Athenians master every religious teaching before they can seek God.

Instead, he invites them to reconsider something fundamental:

If God is the source of life, could getting to know Him begin with an honest willingness to seek Him?

💭 Life Reflection | What Kind of God Am I Searching For?

Each of us may have our own picture of what God would be like.

Some people imagine God as a strict judge. Others hope that God would always grant their wishes. Still others think that the idea of God may simply have been invented by ancient people trying to explain the natural world.

These impressions can come from our upbringing, culture, personal experiences, or religious stories we've heard.

But today's passage invites us to consider a different question:

If God really exists, am I willing to discover what He is actually like, even if He turns out to be different from what I expected?

This isn't only a religious question.

In everyday life, we often form opinions about people based on first impressions or past experiences. Sometimes we think we understand someone well, only to discover through a real relationship that they're quite different from what we imagined.

If that's true of human relationships, perhaps exploring the Creator described in the Bible also requires us to set aside some assumptions and take time to understand who He is.

When Paul spoke in Athens, he didn't begin with complicated religious rituals. He began with things everyone experiences: life, breath, and the ordinary reality of being alive.

Every day, we breathe, walk, work, and go about our routines. Most of the time, these things seem so natural that we rarely stop to think about life itself.

But Paul believes our existence is deeply connected to the Creator.

He even says that God is not far from any of us.

Maybe you're still uncertain whether God exists, and you're not sure what it means to seek Him.

That's okay.

You don't need to reach a conclusion today. You can simply give yourself an opportunity to reconsider what you've always thought about God.

If there really is a Creator who gives life and is not far from us, what kind of God would He be? Could we come to know Him? And if He really is near, how would we begin looking for Him?

Perhaps the first step in seeking God isn't creating an image of Him, but becoming willing to discover who He really is.

✍️ Questions & Small Action | Rethinking What I Believe About God

Questions to Think About

1. When you hear the word "God," what is the first image or idea that comes to mind? Where do you think that impression came from?

2. Paul says that the Creator doesn't live in temples made by human hands and doesn't depend on people to provide for Him. How is this different from what you've previously thought about God?

3. If there really is a God who created life and is not far from any of us, how might you begin getting to know Him?

Today's Small Action

Take three to five minutes today to write down three things you currently believe or imagine about God.

For example: "God might be far away from people." "God must be very powerful." "I don't know whether God cares about ordinary people."

Then look back at today's passage and consider how the Bible's description of God compares with your own impressions.

You don't have to change your mind immediately. Simply allow yourself to think about the differences.

Finally, ask yourself:

"If God really exists, am I willing to discover what He is truly like?"