A Daily Devotion for Tuesday, September 30

Acts 17:22-34

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. 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.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Colossians 4:3-6

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

With passages already long, I still added a couple of verses to the Colossians suggested reading! Paul is never at a loss for words, but the point I am getting from these readings is not that we need to always be ready to talk. It is probably more important to recognize opportunities to make a difference with what we say- or to recognize when God is presenting such an opportunity. I need to trust more that the Holy Spirit will provide me with the words. That is like the salt, for me. If I go off on my own, who knows what my words will contain? (?nutmeg?)

Holy Lord, when I have an opportunity to share the Gospel, or to share anything about my relationship with you, please help me to find the words. Help me to be bold, honest and inviting in my interactions with others. I cannot do it alone. Amen

Becky, transforming