A Day-by-day devotional

April 8, 2023

The unknown God

Chronological One Year Bible Reading Plan: Matthew 11-13

Scripture of the Day: Acts 17

Today, I hiked the foothills of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. In Greek mythology, the said mountain was regarded as the home of the gods, and is the place where the throne of Zeus lies.

When we started the tour, it was raining. The tour guide said he will try to explain everything to us the best he could. What he couldn’t do anything about, however, was the weather. The girl seated across from me at the aisle told the guide, “Well, we can make a sacrifice to Zeus to stop the rain! I volunteer myself.“

The gods of Greek mythology required human life sacrifice. Not our God. Our God, the One True God Yahweh, offered His one and only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins. His Son Jesus, the Lamb of God, gave up His life for our sake. We did not sacrifice. He did!

Unlike any other god in ancient Greece, the One True God doesn’t live in temples built by human hands. He is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.

He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else (Acts 17: 24- 25).

At the archeological museum, I saw objects of worship in ancient Greece, excavated in the city of Dion, dating back to the time before Jesus was even born. These were the same kind of objects that Paul was talking about. The people then have idols carved and fashioned by human hands. They even had an altar with the inscription: to an unknown god (Acts 17:23). Hence, He proclaimed to them about that unknown God – the Savior of the world.

The ancient Greeks in Thessalonica, Berea and Athens, worshipped gods produced by human craftsmanship. They cannot see, talk nor hear. Our God, on the other hand, communicates with us. His Son lived amongst us. And now, His Holy Spirit dwells in us. Our God is alive and living! He alone is worthy to be worshipped.

Reflection: For the Lord, to do what is right and just is more acceptable than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3).

Prayer: Forgive me, Lord for all the gods I have placed in the altar of my heart – things that I give precedence over you, knowingly or unknowingly. Dethrone each of them and make me realize that I am harboring idols in my life. You are the only true God and you are the only one I long to worship. Amen.