Approximately three seconds after hitting “add to cart,” I realized something that startled me.
I didn’t actually want the item I was in the process of purchasing. What I wanted was the dream of what life could be like if I had it.
“I would be cooler,” I thought, “and happier.” I could envision it! I suppose I’d bought the story the marketers had tried to sell me.
Of course, by now you may be wondering what this “thing” was I was purchasing…but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is realizing we all have our own “things”— things we chase after because we think, “if only I had this, life would be good.”
Maybe for you it’s a status symbol or a house you can host in.
Maybe it’s reaching a certain level of wealth or having the relationship you dream of.
But whatever it is, we all need to ask ourselves: Do I spend more time thinking about how to get this thing than I do pursuing more of God?
If the answer is yes, Paul has a timely word for us in Acts 14:15-17:
Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (WEB)
Turn from Vain Things:
Paul and Barnabas spoke these words to a crowd that had mistakenly thought the two apostles were gods and tried to sacrifice to them. They were calling the crowd to turn from their idolatry.
You see, in that day and culture, people sacrificed to idols so that in return, the idols would give them blessings like rain for their crops and a plentiful harvest. The problem was their idols couldn’t deliver. They couldn’t respond. They couldn’t meet the needs of the people, cause rain or a plentiful harvest. They were useless.
And it’s much the same with our idols today. We turn to relationships for happiness, money for security and possessions for identity. But just like their idols back then, these idols can’t deliver, either. They are vain and useless things.
Maybe you’re thinking, though: “The things I pursue and love aren’t vain! They’re good.” And I need to acknowledge there is some truth to that. Relationships have value. Money has a purpose. Our possessions are blessings for us to enjoy. So, yes. Kept in their proper place, these things can be good.
But as gods, they are useless.
Paul called the people’s idol worship “vain” and told them to turn from it. “…You should turn from these vain things to the living God,” he said. And while his words were (and are) an urgent invitation for unbelievers to turn to Jesus for salvation, they are also a wake-up call for us as believers.
If the majority of our time, energy, focus or money is sacrificed on the altar of getting (and maintaining) things we think will fulfill us, we are likely idolizing those things. And we’re going to end up disappointed by them.
As sources of joy and fulfillment, they are fleeting.
As sources of provision and security, they are unreliable.
As sole reasons for getting out of bed in the morning, they fall flat.
“Things” make worthless gods.
Which is why Paul urges us to turn to the true God who is worthy.
Turn to the Living God:
I love how Paul describes God in these verses. From his description, two truths stand out:
- God is the True Source of all we’re looking for.
The Greeks worshiped multiple gods because they believed they each controlled a different part of nature. If they needed rain, they sacrificed to Zeus. If they wanted a plentiful harvest, they sacrificed to Gaia. If they wanted a good catch of fish, they sacrificed to Poseidon. But these gods weren’t actually alive to respond.
By contrast, Paul says God is the Living God, who made and controls all the elements—sky, earth and sea. And He is the One who meets people’s needs—providing rain, harvest, food and gladness.
The same is true today. Though we look for our longings to be met in so many other places, God is the Source of what we’re looking for. He provides for us and keeps us secure in His infinite resources. He fills us with joy. Hegives us a purpose for living each and every day.
So if we have any joy and fulfillment in this life, we have to recognize: ultimately it comes from God. He is the giver of every good gift.
But God’s good gifts are not an end in themselves.
- God’s gifts are an invitation to a greater gift: God Himself.
Paul says that even while God let people go their own way (away from Him), His good gifts testified of who He was. He was inviting them to turn and worship Him.
So if you have any joy, fulfillment or blessings in this life, let them lead you into worship of the Living God today. Start out your prayer time by thanking God for the good gifts in your life—but don’t stop there. Think about what those gifts teach you about God and then praise Him for those attributes.
“God thank you for food on the table—You are my Provider. You take good care of me.”
“God thank you for a roof over my head to shelter me from the rain—You are my ultimate Shelter. Thank you for being my refuge in the storms of life.”
As we worship in this way, we may realize something that startles us. As much as we’re grateful for God’s gifts, what we’re most grateful for—and what we most adore—is God Himself.
This devotion is based on one of the Scriptures from my reading plan: “Accessible Joy” To receive a copy of the reading plan (and future reading plans), sign up for the email list below. Hope you’ll follow along!
©2024 Paige K. Burhans
Scriptures taken from the World English Bible. Public Domain.
