Bible Verse of the Day Wednesday December 29th 2021

 Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

Paul was entering the city of Athens without his missionary partners, Silas and Timothy. They stayed behind to minister in Thessaloniki and Philippi, from which the people there forced Paul to leave sooner than he would have preferred. Since he witnessed the extent of idols throughout Athens, God led him to begin his teaching ministry before his companions joined him.

 

Every city in the world today is filled to some degree with idols, maybe not marble statues of some false god, but idols nonetheless. We will find idols of commercialism, materialism, and covetousness, to name a few. Paul was "greatly distressed" when he encountered the many idols of false gods in Athens, and the question is, where do we stand when we encounter the idols of today? Unfortunately, many today, both Christians and non-Christians, have resigned themselves to accepting the worldly standards of a way of life. Three things caused our first parents to fall for the idol of self-righteousness that led to their expulsion from paradise, the lust of the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

 

Satan will try everything he can to put blinders on us to block out the ways of God and allow us only to see the ways of the world. The pride of life has become something that all worldly people believe is good. We hear that we should have pride in our work or accomplishments, and it seems like it would be a good thing. However, pride is somewhat like an atomic reaction; once released, it is impossible to put it back in its container without God. Therefore, all the honor and glory is God's for all we do (John 15:5; Romans 11:36).

 

The world offers so much fame and fortune, and some see it as something that, if not sought after, one will be left behind. Therefore, in the world's view, we should do everything we can do to make more and more money to obtain more shiny trinkets than everyone else, so that we can brag about it. We must ask ourselves: are we allowing the Holy Spirit of God to break our hearts and cause us distress over the idols of the world, as Paul did in Athens? Only then will we be able to move out of our comfort zone and shun the idols of today's worldly secular society.