Acts 17:16-34

Be still: Lord, thank you for this new day. Please our eyes to your wonders, your beauty and your Spirit. Lead us today we pray. Amen

Read: Acts 17:16-34

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. (v24-25)

Encounter: There are lots of 'spaces' in our lives: spaces where we go shopping, where we hang out, where we holiday, where we work and where we rest. But there comes a moment when a space becomes a place. It’s no longer just somewhere we visit; it has developed meaning, memories and significance in our lives.

For generations, the temple was the place where Israel encountered God’s presence. It was the centre of worship, yet God could never be contained in or by a building. In Acts 2 at Pentecost the Holy Spirit, was poured out on all the disciples. The place of God’s presence was no longer centred in the temple, but in the hearts and lives of all those who believed in Jesus.

In v24, Paul is explaining this completely new concept: he is going against centuries of belief and understanding. You can imagine the Jewish 'push back', but also the penny-drop moment for those who believed, especially for those Gentiles in his Athens' audience — God now dwells within me. I am now a temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor6:19). Because of Jesus, I don’t just occupy space, but have become a dwelling place of God’s Spirit.

Apply: Where do you need to be reminded today that God dwells within you? Where are the areas you need to see God move? Ask God to remind you of this promise that he dwells within you.

Devote: Lord thank you that you chose to make your home within us. Thank you that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. May we live today in the confidence and knowledge of your power and presence alive and at work within us.