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Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.”

During the time of the apostle Paul, the people of Athens worshipped many gods. They were concerned, however, that they might not know about all the gods, and a slighted god may bring some disastrous consequences on them. So, in all their idol worship, they set up another altar to a god they didn’t know.

We may look down our noses in our scientific enlightenment at these ignorant heathens. But are we really that much different? What would Paul see if we invited him to walk in our lives? He might not encounter small statues made of silver or gold that we pray to. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t tempted to worship idols. Consider that an idol for us is really anything, anyplace, or anyone that we hold more important than God or what he commands. We need to honestly ask: have we ever set our hearts on money or things that money can buy more than on God and his promises? Or has one click on the computer screen ever led us to seek happiness and pleasure in the wrong places?

Satan would have us despair of ever knowing God and the salvation he accomplished for us. He would say, “With all your sin, why would God want to know you?” The truth is that God sought you and me out and revealed himself to us through his Son. The true God is not unknown to us. By the power of the Holy Spirit through the gospel, you and I know God. We know that he has forgiven our sins through Jesus. And for that reason, we will know God forever.

God, you have opened my eyes to see you as my Savior and know you as my Lord. Continue to reveal yourself to me through your Word that I may grow in my knowledge of your love and grow closer in my relationship with you. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.