Week 9, Day 1 Devotional

The Story of Us: Acts Chapter 17-18 (July 22-July 28)

Day One:

Recently, I have been reading a book by a pastor named Kyle Idleman called Gods at War. As you might guess, he writes about the dangers of idolatry and how it negatively impacts our relationship with God. Appropriate, considering the countless pagan idols that Paul came across in Acts chapters 17-18.  Needless to say, I took this as God’s cue to write about idolatry this week.

In chapter 17, Paul comes to the city of Athens after his travels in Berea.  When he arrived, verse 16 says that he was greatly angered by the countless idols he saw.  Of particular peculiarity was an altar with the inscription “to the unknown god”. When I read and pondered this inscription, I came up with a rewording of my own, “worship your personal god here”. This inscription essentially says two things: 1) We as human beings are hardwired to worship; and, 2) The idols we worship are not always tangible “stone statues” that those around us can clearly see and point out. ANYTHING can be made an idol!  This includes even good things like friendships, marriages, and hobbies.

The question isn’t, “will we worship” but rather, “what will we worship”.  Whether we consciously realize it or not, we all make a choice. Either the one true God of the universe sits on the throne of our hearts or some other false god does. There is no third option. Even as Christians, we will always have these false gods beckoning for our attention. Fighting these “gods” is a battle we must fight with a sense of purpose daily. We must wake up each morning and make the conscious decision as to what we will worship. So, what will you choose to worship today?

- Kyle Bogner