God’s Restoration

Old Testament: Numbers 31-33

Psalms Reading: Psalms 74

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 11

My Bible notes explain that Psalm 74 is from the time of the exile, after the nation of Israel had been destroyed and the temple left in ruins and the promised land completely ravished. The first half of the Psalm is a recounting of how the sanctuary of the Almighty was decimated by the enemy. The second half of the Psalm is a cry out to God to do something about it. Verse 12 is the pivot point between the two halves. 

As I read Psalm 74, my inner first-born older-sister voice says something like, “Well, what do you expect? Your insolent behavior was basically an invitation to the enemy to come and wreak havoc. You opened the door to the temple wide open with your disobedience. And now you realize your mistake and want God to fix it???”

As if I never did anything foolish. Not once have I been disobedient. And I never have had to deal with the consequences of my poor choices. Nor have I ever asked God to come to my rescue and defend me when I got in over my head. Nope, not at all. Not me.

Maybe this Psalm hits a little too close to home. Because there have been so many times when my disobedience has left me on my knees. I said something that shouldn’t have been said; I ignored God’s voice telling me to walk the other way; I refused to forgive; I thought too highly of myself. And when I realized what I got myself into, the only thing I could think of doing was crying out to God for help.

While God fully desires us to be obedient, he knows our human nature and capability to mess things up from time to time. He wants us to call out to Him. He longs for us to recognize our need for Him. So even when we open the door of our hearts to something less than God’s best and our lives are turned inside out and upside down, He will come and restore us to who we are meant to be.

Thank you God, for being full of mercy and grace and hearing me when I call out. Thank you God, for not turning your back on me when my mess is a result of my foolishness. Thank you God, for loving me unconditionally, that even though I may have to suffer the consequences of my actions, you redeem me.

-Bethany Ligon

Reflection Questions

  1. When has your disobedience caused the need for restoration?
  2. Is there an area of your life that you have already experienced God’s restoration? What did it look like when it was in ruins? What does restoration look/feel like?
  3. What has God revealed about Himself in today’s Bible reading?

To Be Near God

Old Testament Reading: Numbers 28-30

Psalms Reading: Psalm 73

New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 10

What is the longest that you have prayed for something? A couple of days? A few weeks? Multiple months? Several years? Maybe a decade or two? 

For me, I prayed for something for over ten years. The words may not have been on my lips each day or recorded in my journal on a regular basis, but it was in my heart for a very long time. There were times when I looked around and wondered why God wasn’t answering this prayer. Why did he seem to be responding to others before me? Why did it appear that even nonbelievers were ‘living their best life’ and here I was, trudging along, waiting for God to do something.

Eventually, I saw an answer to my prayer. It didn’t come in a way that I anticipated, but God answered. Hallelujah! 

I find myself in another long-term praying situation. Every once in a while I see a glimpse of what I hope for, but it doesn’t last for long. It’s frustrating. At times I feel powerless because nothing I seem to do makes any difference. At other times, I am jealous of others who have what appears to be what I am asking God for. 

As I read Psalm 73, I identify some with the author in his observations that life just doesn’t seem fair. But I have come to realize that when I am looking at ANYTHING other than God, my perspective, my attitude, my desires, become skewed.

When I am intentionally seeking after God, my confidence in His plan and timing grows; my heart’s desires change, my thoughts are transformed. I become spiritually stronger and sustained when I stop comparing my life to the world and start trusting that God has bigger and greater plans in store for my future. 

So for now, I will lift up my hands and reach out to my Father who will take hold and provide all that is needed while I wait for an answer. And even if that answer doesn’t make sense, doesn’t seem fair or doesn’t match my timeline, I can trust that His way is better than my way and He alone is enough.

-Bethany Ligon

Reflection Questions

  1. What is the Psalmist’s attitude and focus in the first half of Psalm 73? What is his attitude and focus in the second half? What is the turning point? What are your favorite verses in this Psalm?
  2. When does life seem unfair to you? What is your typical response? Even when the situation remains the same, how can your attitude and focus change?
  3. What do you learn of God and His characteristics in today’s Bible reading?

A Goldmine

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 31 & 32

Psalms Reading: Psalm 18

New Testament Reading: Matthew 17

In a year that we are searching in His words for who God is, Psalm 18 is a goldmine. Almost no seeking is required, just taking it in, line after line after line. In 50 verses David shares who His God is: what God has done and why, what He loves, what He doesn’t love, His super powers, what He offers and provides and gives, what is perfect about Him, what He delivers us from, and why He is worthy of praise.

The first time I read Psalm 18 this week I journaled what I saw regarding God – it was the first Psalm that took a full page to record my observations, and I am sure I missed some. Here’s just a sampling from my journal page (with some added thoughts):

  • God – MY strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn of salvation, stronghold, worthy of praise… (written by David so he was the original “MY” referred to – but not the only – thank you God for being MY strength, too)
  • He hears me from his temple…(I am not used to being heard by the “higher-ups” – but here is the Highest of them all, and He hears me.)
  • He gets angry – earth trembles and quakes, mountains shook…
  • He reached down from on high and rescued me…
  • He’s my support…
  • To turn from Him is evil…
  • God saves the humble…not so the haughty… (Be humble, don’t be haughty)
  • To the faithful/blameless/pure – He shows Himself to be faithful/blameless/pure…. (but don’t be crooked with Him, unless you are curious what His other side looks like).
  • The LORD lives!…

As I re-read I began looking for what verse or phrase I would choose to create a picture to accompany the devotion – there were way too many I wanted to use! Here are some of my personal top choices, that I didn’t end up using…

“I call to the LORD who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” (vs 3) – (My enemies will look different from David’s – we each have a different purpose from God to fulfill and different enemies to overcome – but we both have the same God who is worthy of praise and who saves from the enemy.)

“He rescued me because He delighted in me.” (vs 19) – (Thank you God for delighting in me – and rescuing me. Your love and your power work perfectly together. And I am the blessed recipient of both.)

“My God turns my darkness into light.” (vs 28) – (How’s that for a lightbulb moment?)

“You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.” (vs 35) – (Don’t you love the picture that creates in your mind! Re-read it again slower. How is God trying to pass you His shield of victory today?)

“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless.” (vs 30) – (Is there anything else in this world that is perfect? We are so used to flawed, broken and mediocre – but that is NOT My God – his way and his word are perfect – and they are for me!)

What pictures/passages do you like best in Psalm 18? What do they tell you about God? Is He YOUR God, too?

Remember those book reports you did back in elementary school when you had to create something to show you learned something from the reading – a mobile, a shoebox diorama, a character chart. I encourage you to create something from Psalm 18 – a journal page, memory verse cards for your bathroom mirror, a friend’s refrigerator and the wallets of all your family members, a wall hanging for your home or your neighbor’s, a card or text for a friend who is feeling surrounded by enemies today.

Read His words and remember and share. God is worthy of praise. “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1 NIV)

-Marcia Railton

If you were hoping for a devotion today over Matthew 17 and the Transfiguration which is a very interesting “highlight” of Jesus’ earthly ministry, here’s a good one called A Mountain Top Experience by Rebecca Dauksas.

Reflection Questions

  1. In what way do you think God wants to give you His shield of victory today? How might you receive it? What enemies is God able to help you overcome?
  2. How might your day be different if you remember all day long who Your God is?
  3. Just as we can benefit from David sharing with us how God has helped him, how can you share with others how God has helped you and how might it benefit them?
  4. What pictures/passages do you like best in Psalm 18? What do they tell you about God? Is He YOUR God, too?

God, You Are…

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 9 & 10

Psalm Reading: Psalm 7

New Testament: Matthew 6

We are a week into our Bible reading plan for 2023. What are your thoughts so far? I have enjoyed reading Scripture and searching for what God is revealing about Himself in the words He inspired the authors to write. Previously, I have most often looked at the Bible as an instruction manual for life, and as such it is extremely valuable. I, for one, need a good bit of direction in my life! And while there are a lot of instruction manuals out there, I want to use God’s directions rather than the world’s. But I am realizing His words are so much more! They allow us the privilege to know God – really KNOW Him. What He likes, what He doesn’t like, what He IS like, what He does, what He doesn’t do, what He will do, what He desires, what thrills Him, what makes Him angry, what He plans, what He promises, what He controls, what He doesn’t control, even if He could. These are the things you would want to know about someone if you were considering entering into a serious relationship. It goes much deeper than knowing a name, a pronoun and 6 descriptive adjectives and thinking that we now know that person.

So, why is it important to really KNOW God? I am reminded of a very sad passage in Romans. It begins by saying all men should know there is a God because of the works of His glorious creation. Yes, we should. But, we know of too many who don’t. What went wrong? “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.  Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image…Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity… For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:21-25 NASB)

So many today have been at a point where they would say there is a God, but because they didn’t honor Him or give Him thanks, it was easy to turn their backs on Him and become fools and be given over to sin and judgment. When we SEE God for who He is and really KNOW who He is, the true response is honor and thanks. We can not give an unknown being genuine honor and thanks. The best list of rules won’t save us. If you don’t have a serious relationship with the author of the best instruction manual in the world, the words will be lost, neglected and even despised. It is time, for us and our children, to get to KNOW God Almighty – so we will honor Him and give thanks and be serious about our relationship with Him.

So, that’s one reason I am enjoying getting to know the author of this great instruction book more and more. In our Old Testament readings we are just finishing with the events of Noah’s life. What did you learn about God from Genesis 6-9? There isn’t one set of correct answers. But some of the things I jotted in my journal over the past few days include:

He feels pain – He sees evil in His creation.

He plans destruction of evil – but He still sees and gives favor to those who walk with Him and are righteous.

He is detail-oriented, gives precise directions that work well. He’s a good ship designer (that means He’s smart).

He creates covenants to save.

He saves families.

It happens as God said it will. He is trustworthy and true.

He controls the floodgates and springs. He controls the animals. He controls the winds. He is powerful.

He blesses with fruitfulness and children.

He gives plants and animals to eat.

He made man in His own image (How many times will we read this – how many times will we ignore it? Trading the truth of the creator was part of the lie spoken of in Romans. I think that makes it important. Thank you God for making us in Your image – you are incredible to make us – and super generous to make us in YOUR image!)

He will demand an accounting for the life of men. He values life, every life.

He makes covenants. He remembers His covenants. He created the rainbow.

If you haven’t tried it yet – I encourage you to give it a go. Read at least one of today’s passages, searching for what you can learn of God. What is He like? What does He like? What did He do? What will He do? It will give you reason to give Him glory and thanks. It will prepare you for a serious relationship with Him – for all eternity.

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. What’s in it for me? What are the benefits to having a serious relationship with God, rather than just agreeing that there is a God out there somewhere?
  2. Do you believe God created you and the world? Does it matter?
  3. If you’ve tried it – what did God reveal about Himself in your reading so far this week, or today? If you haven’t tried it yet – now is the time. Ask Him, God – what do you want to show me about yourself? And then dig in, seeking Him. When He shows you a bit of Himself, how will you express your honor, glory and thanks?

Rest in Peace

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 3 & 4

Psalms Reading: Psalm 4

New Testament Reading: Matthew 3

Cheese. If I had to pinpoint a single food that will assure tossing and turning, vivid dreams, and even a bit of snoring, all it takes is a serving size before bed and a restless night is almost guaranteed. Nevertheless, if cheese alone caused distress in my sleep, it simply would take some discipline in my diet to cure this issue. My resting is subjected to more interruptions. The rumblings of my mind often disturb the counting of sheep more than the rumblings in my gut. Thinking about the stresses of work, school, family or reliving the failings of my day can be the late night double feature playing inside my head. Without the perspective that comes from God, it is hard to find rest.

“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7

“Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.” Psalm 4: 4,5

Like Cain, the source of this restlessness often stems from some type of disconnection from God. We are hanging on to something that the eternal God has made clear is His area of reckoning.  Our past. Our future. Our sin. Our fear. Our stress. Our anger. All of these are the cheese that is gumming up the works of the rest we can find in God even when we are weak and heavy laden. Continually turning towards the issues provides anything but relief, further stalling your slumber.  Furthermore, sin is waiting outside our door when we choose to act without the “green light” of God’s will. Instead of searching your finite mind for an answer, humble yourself and seek the face of the infinite God. 

This works well beyond the confines of your covers. It can be found behind a steering wheel when you are driving away from another argument, sitting at a desk reminded of the endless list of things that you won’t get done today, or kneeling behind a closed door drowning in depression of loss. The solution is the same in all situations: worship God Almighty.  When we are reminded of who He is, we don’t have to hold the answer because He has readied one and is holding onto us. While it’s possible to receive revelation in these moments (James states that our God gives wisdom generously to all without finding fault), the answer we may receive is His presence into our mercy, fears, and shortcoming, which is the relief we so desperately need to quiet our minds and catch a few winks. The silence is not rejection or a stalling tactic. The silence is the peace that comes from trust in the Lord so you can rest in peace.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. Where could your life use a little more peace? Where have you looked for it?
  2. What do we learn from the narrative of Cain and Abel regarding peace, and also the lack thereof? What do we learn from David’s example in Psalm 4?
  3. In your Bible reading today, what do you discover about God and his character? Thank Him for it.

A NEW Bible Reading Plan for 2023

What will God reveal about Himself today?

What an exciting time of year!  Who is ready for 2023 and a NEW SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan?  

At the bottom of this post you will find the new schedule!  Wouldn’t it be great if 2023 was the year you daily read the Bible more than ever before?  

What does God want to reveal about himself to you – every day of 2023?  Come along on the journey with Seek Grow Love to find out!  

This year the Seek Grow Love reading plan includes 3 daily readings.  Choose 1, 2 or 3 of the readings to complete each day – if you do all three everyday (or get caught up if needed) you will read through the whole Bible in 2023. 

  – The Old Testament reading is 2-3 chapters a day and takes you through the entire Old Testament, with the exception of Psalms and Proverbs.  

  – In the second column, one Psalm or Proverb is assigned to each day and through the year each will be repeated.  

  – The New Testament column is typically one chapter of the New Testament each day.  The gospels are spread out throughout the year, Matthew is at the start and end of the year, and Acts will be read after Luke in the spring, the rest of the New Testament is mostly in order.  A few weeks will be devoted to a theme related to a holiday season, FUEL theme, or a doctrinal topic.

You may find benefit in spreading out the readings through your day and praying through the Psalm. Perhaps one or more of the readings will work well to do together with your family.  You may also find it helpful having an accountability partner, or even creating a small group to share what you have been reading and learning.

Visit SeekGrowLove.com to read daily devotions based on this reading plan, and on the website you can sign up to have the devotions emailed to you every morning.  Each devotion will include reflection questions.  This year, we specifically challenge you to search everyday for what God is revealing about himself throughout His Scriptures.  It would be a great year to start a little journal (or note in your Bible margins or online Bible notes) and record daily what you have read and what you learn about God, His character, His power, His love, His Son, etc… in that passage. 

You can also follow on our Facebook page (Seek Grow Love) and Instagram (seekgrowlove).   

God bless you as you seek the LORD and read His words this year!

Come Back

Amos 5

Sunday, November 6, 2022

For the last three years I have been in the retail industry. Working with the public, you are exposed to a wide variety of people. Ever heard of people watching? That’s when you literally just observe people for fun, whether at a shop or restaurant, because the state of our society can be so entertaining. However, it can be disheartening to a Christian. The way people talk and conduct themselves, and especially the way people treat each other, is really hard to watch. Let’s look at today’s scripture.

In Amos 5 we are greeted by a funeral song. Now, music has always been a huge part of my life. From Frank Sinatra to Dr. Dre, my appreciation of music is quite eclectic. Imagine my joy when I hear the chapter I get to write about is Amos 5! It reads, “ ‘The virgin Israel has fallen, never to rise again! She lies abandoned on the ground, with no one to help her up.’ The Sovereign Lord says: ‘When a city sends a thousand men to battle, only a hundred will return. When a town sends a hundred, only ten will come back alive.’ ” This is a warning from the prophet Amos to the people of Israel to provide another chance before facing the judgment of God. The sin they needed to repent from in this case was idolatry, and the imagery of the men dying in battle was to foreshadow the eventual tool God had planned to use to remove this sin, an invasion at the hands of the Babylonian empire. 

In verse 4 it reads, “Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel: ‘Come back to me and live!’ ” And that’s the amazing thing about the grace of God, is that’s all it takes. If the Israelites had simply put their false gods aside, they would have not (eventually) been punished.

Let’s pull it all together. You hear all the time from people that modern times are “so awful” and “that nothing like this has ever happened”. But that is plainly false! The sins of man have always been abhorrent, but “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent…” (Numbers 23:19, NASB 1995), that means that when God said “Come to me and live” he MEANT that and will ALWAYS mean that.

-John Evans

Reflection Questions

  1. Read Amos 5 and list all the things God saw the Israelites doing that He was warning them against continuing. Also list what God wanted them to do instead. Which of these actions and attitudes do you see today in society? In God’s church? In yourself?
  2. What warning do we need today?
  3. What does it look like to Come Back to God? How will you Come Back to Him? How will you help another to Come Back to Him?

Want to Get Rich?

1 Timothy 6

(Today’s devotion will be on 1 Timothy 6. Tomorrow we will jump back to 1 Timothy 5. Thanks for being flexible with us!)

Friday, September 9, 2022

 “Hey Jesse are you going to buy a lottery ticket?” A group of my coworkers had been talking about the jackpot because the lottery had reached over a billion dollars. The conversation that followed that question was followed with speculation of what the group of us would buy or what we would do with the money. Many, if not all, said they would have quit their jobs and bought extravagant things. Some even said they would invest it and be smart with the money. And some said they would give most of it away and keep enough to live on for the rest of their life. My answer to the question was “No, I mean of course it would be nice to have that money but I know I would probably spend all of it and end up in debt, broke, or dead.”

I think the lottery is a good example of what the world reaches for but doesn’t understand. Money may be able to buy you a boat, a cool new car, house, vacation, or whatever. However those things are only temporary and don’t satisfy the one thing we all strive to achieve in our lives. CONTENTMENT. No, not fugitives selling wintergreen lifesavers out of a tent, but contentment. The understanding of knowing what you have right now is enough. Just read what Paul in 1 Timothy 5:6-9 says “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

Money is not bad, however if you aren’t content without it, what makes you think you will be content with it? I can tell you from experience you won’t be,  unless you are trying to attain only to godliness first. Then everything else ordinarily falls into place and we become content. Something I struggle with, and I am sure you do as well, everyday. The understanding that God takes care of His people when they are seeking him is scattered all throughout the Bible. My favorite example and probably most prominent is Matthew 6:33 “Seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness, and all these things shall be handed unto you.” (I recommend reading the whole chapter to get the gist of what “all these things” Jesus is speaking about. No the lottery isn’t one of those things.) Seeking God is where we find our ultimate contentment. With him we don’t have to worry about plunging ourselves into ruin and destruction as many of the past lottery winners have done. Instead, we live our lives knowing we are content.

-Jesse Allen

Application Questions

  1. What do you think Paul meant when he said, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)?
  2. How does your contentment rank? Without ‘getting’ any more – how can you boost your contentment level with what you have right now?
  3. Explain how the Love of Money can be the root of all kinds of evil. Have you seen an example of this?

Eternal Perspective

Philippians 1

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Philippians 1:10 – For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

Perspective is everything. As a junior high school science teacher, I got to teach students about galaxies within the universe and molecules and atoms; from the macro to the micro and everything in between. And what we learned is that depending on your perspective, your observations and conclusions may vary. 

It’s very easy (at least for me) to get wrapped up in the business of each day. Which means I sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. What I appreciate about this specific letter from Paul to the church in Philippi, is that it’s a wonderful reminder to keep the most important things at the forefront of our thinking at all times. 

When we view life with an eternal perspective, instead of a right here, right now point of view, we are able to consider what really matters. Life becomes less about grabbing drive through dinner after a long day of work and more about being pleasant to the fast food worker. It becomes more about continuing to give to your family even though you’re exhausted from making tough decisions earlier in the day. It becomes more about being grateful and expressing joy because you’re making a difference in the lives of others. 

When we live with an eternal perspective it becomes easier to give even when we don’t feel like we have much to offer. It becomes more important to meet up with your neighbor to extend assistance for a need that they have when you understand the potential impact it might bring. It becomes a joy to worship, a pleasure to study Scripture, and a relief to rest in the shadow of our Rock when we are mindful that nothing is more important than seeking Him through whom all blessings flow. 

May today be your reminder to take some time to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

-Bethany Ligon

Application Questions

  1. What is most important to you?
  2. How does your life show what is most important to you?
  3. What situations cause you to forget your eternal perspective? How can you renew your dedication to the eternal perspective?

God Did All This

Acts 17

May 5

Paul starts out in Acts chapter 17 arriving in Thessalonica and speaking in the synagogues for 3 Sabbaths. He proclaims that Jesus needed to suffer and be raised from the dead. The Jews corner Paul and he is forced to leave the city after paying the officials. Paul and Silas depart for Berea. The Berean Jews listen to him and study to see if what he is saying is true and many of them believed. The Jews from Thessalonica find out Paul is in Berea and come after him there.

Paul is immediately sent away by the brothers in Berea and Paul arrives in Athens. Paul doesn’t take a break while in Athens. Paul seeing the city full of idols almost can’t help himself. Paul starts going into the marketplace and reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue and preaching to them about Jesus resurrected. They bring Paul to the Areopagus, a court of philosophy, and Paul launches into one of the most cultured speeches or sermons in the New Testament.

Paul starts out with the general declaration that God has made everything in v.24. God doesn’t live in a temple, made of human hands. He instead dwells within all of us. This is in abstraction to all the gods of Athens who needed a temple, a place for them to dwell. Our God when a house is built for him it was only supposed to represent God’s presence with his nation, Israel. It was a symbol for his people.

Paul makes his third statement about God’s sovereignty in v. 25. He doesn’t need us to serve him. For there is nothing that he needs from us that he can’t do for himself.  He instead involves us and allows us to serve him for our own good. Our service to God is a matter of grace from God to us. It is letting us love him back. We are like children using the money mommy gave us to buy something for daddy.

Paul then makes a statement about the whole world’s dependence on God. He says that God gives to us life, breath and everything. Life: many of you may think of this as coming from your mom and dad; but as at least some of you may know, pregnancy is a miracle in and of itself. Either way God gave you your life. Have you had any enjoyment in it? Praise God because he gave it to you. Breath: God has provided you the air in your lungs right now and all the air you have ever used. He gave you the air you used to praise him and the air you used to sin against him. Everything: Everything you have ever interacted with – like that piece of cake or your mama. He made all that as well.

Verse 26 says that God providentially gave to each a time and a place. Verse 27 Tells us exactly why he did this. He gave us our time, place, life, breath, and everything that we have and everyone we love that we would SEEK Him and FIND Him. This statement is so significant if we look at it from Paul’s audience’s perspective. God made everything and gave everything, that we would find Him. He did it, so it would point us to Him.

The good things that he gives to non-Christians and the good things he gave to us, when we didn’t love him, were all done for us that we would seek and find Him.

We are going to skip down to verse 30. Paul tells us he has overlooked our ignorance and is telling them to repent and that he will judge the world by a righteous man. Paul then says that we have assurance of this because Christ was raised from the dead.

This is the third time in this chapter Paul talks about Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s resurrection is paramount to the Christian faith. If Christ isn’t raised we have nothing. His resurrection gives us Christ in us and God in Christ and therefore God in all of us. By his resurrection, not just his death, we are justified (Romans 4.25).

-Daniel Wall

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. How can you be more mindful of all that God has made and done for you today?
  2. How will you seek Him?
  3. Who do you know who still needs to hear about and know the “unknown God”? How can you introduce them?
  4. What does Christ’s resurrection mean to you?

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