November 3, 2019

November 3

Running with Jesus  

Acts 17:16 “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.”

     Paul had arrived in Athens and as he looked around, his spirit was stirred because he was seeing all sorts of idols and statues that the Greeks worshipped.  It was a physical object that was worshipped.  A physical object has no life and is dead.  It doesn’t breath, eat, move or have any emotion yet man will choose to make it an object of worship.  Idols also can be anything we place before God giving time, energy, and glory.  We love to think about idolatry as an object but we don’t like to think about anything that takes us away from God and serving Him.

     Idolatry can be our own desires and pleasures. When we allow pleasures to consume us and take all our time we have created an idol.

     What is foreign to us today is in America foreign religions, Buddhists, Hindu and other religions, have brought their idols into our land.

     Like Paul we must let this stir our spirits to be prepared to be a greater witness than ever before of our true salvation found only in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul will deliver a great message to these Greeks shortly.  He will find a way to talk to them.  We must rid the idols we have and prepare to be more faithful than ever to God and carry the gospel message to a world where Judea, Samaria and all parts of the earth has come to us. 

     The last days are upon us and time is short. Let’s pray for a stirring of our spirit.

Father, as we look all around us we see a land filled with idolatry.  Some are physically seen some are not visible.  They are all around us.  Father, stir our spirit and help us to move like never before sharing the gospel as we run through life.

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015