FRESH
BREAD
The
Kingdom Series – "The Highest Calling"
By
David White
“And He has made from one blood every
nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their
pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should
seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though
He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our
being,” (Acts 17:26-28)
The ultimate
purpose for every man, woman and child on the face of the earth is the same.
It’s to seek the Lord with heart felt passion, and find Him. Because it is only
in Him where life takes on meaning and purpose and as the Scriptures confirm,
where we begin to live and move and have our being.
As the Apostle
Paul passed through the city of Athens, he was brought to a place where many of
the intellectuals of that day would gather together seeking to tell or hear about
something new. The word had spread how
Paul was preaching Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. Because this
seemed to be new and unheard of revelation, many wanted to hear more of what
Paul had to say.
Paul had become
aware of the religious nature of the people of Athens as he saw for himself the
city full of idols, shrines and other symbols of worship. He even noticed one
altar with the inscription that read: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. This was the opportunity
for Paul to speak to the people about what he knew they were really looking
for.
Every man and
woman is seeking something they can’t seem to find. Like this altar, hidden
within the hearts of men and women lies an undefined longing that nothing in
this world can satisfy. Therefore most people live empty and unfulfilled lives
looking for something new to fill the void within. They may discover something
that seems to be the answer to what they are looking for, but soon the newness
wears off and they are back to looking for the next fix.
Paul takes the
opportunity to tell the people that this UNKNOWN GOD, that they at least admitted
existed, is the One their soul longed for. He goes so far as to tell them that this
God had even appointed them to live where they now lived.
The Amplified
Bible translates it this way. “And He
(God) made from one (common origin, one source, one blood) all nations of men
to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined (their)
allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their
settlements, lands, and abodes), So that they would seek God, in hope that they
might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us”
Acts 17:26-27.
God has purposed
that we live where we do so we can touch the lives of the specific people He
has placed around us. Understanding this simple truth could start a spiritual
revolution in every city and neighborhood on earth. However there is more to
this story.
If seeking God
with heart felt passion and finding Him is the ultimate purpose of those who
have yet to know the Lord, then how much more is this one thing still the
single most important purpose for those who do know Him?
The men and women
of Athens were constantly in search for the latest, newest and greatest
revelation. They were searching for something they couldn’t find although what
they were looking for was right in front of them. After defining their purpose
Paul told them, “though He is not far
from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27)
Speaking of the
last days, Paul cautions about those who would be “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2
Timothy 3:7). This is especially troubling when we understand that He who is
the Way, the Truth and the Life is not far from each one of us.
Our main purpose
in life is to seek God, go after Him with passion, and find Him discovering
that He is not very far from any of us. Doing this one thing every day, will lead to our living and
moving and having our being in Him which is the ultimate satisfaction. There is
no higher calling, and it’s the call of God to everyone on the face of the
earth in this hour.
