Heaven Is All Around You

Read: Acts 17:16-34

God is not far from you. In fact, he is quite near. Not only to you, but to all of creation. Nearness does not always equate to relationship. We can be quite “near” to a lot of things and be totally unaware. This is actually what changes and grows: our awareness. God does not ebb and flow in his nearness to us - but we ebb and flow in our awareness of HIS PRESENCE. This has been true since the beginning of time. We see this laid out when Paul talks to the Greek philosophers in Athens:

“And (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth…that (mankind) should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us…” (v.26-28)

God is leaving us clues that lead us to awareness of his presence. He awakens us and gives us eyes to see and ears to hear. He is near to you… right now… more near than you imagine. His desire is to be “found”. God is not a “hiding” God… he is a revealer. Paul knows this and is able to see God’s fingerprints in the midst of the Athenians. Paul calls out their altar / inscription to the “unknown god” and begins to use this as an opportunity to tell of the one true God as revealed in Christ! (v. 22-23) God is involved in ALL of humanity. It is God who gives us life and breath and EVERYTHING that we have and need. He doesn’t do all this from a distance, but actually while being very near to us. “(God) himself gives to all mankind life and breath and EVERYTHING. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place…” (v.25-26)

We need to be reminded of this. It is easy, at times, to feel as though God has left the building… as if he has retreated and gone far away. Sometimes it is because of our own failures that we think God starts to distance himself from us. This is not true… he is near. Sometimes it is because of our circumstances that we feel God has abandoned us. This is not true… he is near. God and his heavenly realm is more near to us than we realize. The veil between heaven and earth is quite thin…after all - “the Kingdom of God is at hand!” Sometimes we need to “feel our way towards him and find him”. (v.27) We need to reach out with our hands… call out with our voices… and start looking for the clues that lead us to him. I was in a cave last week with our students… a literal cave. At one point we turned out our lights and experienced TOTAL darkness. I could not even tell that there was a student not even 6 inches away from me. In those moments, I could reach out and feel their shoulder. I could call out and hear their voice. I could find them even though I couldn’t see them. In your darkest moments, God is near - you need only reach out and you will find he is closer than you ever imagined. I love how the picture is one of “feeling” our way to God’s presence. This is not sitting around THINKING about him… this is SENSORY… this is ACTIVE. God is near… he is all around us! EXPERIENCE this truth today… “feel your way” to HIM! Love you guys. - JDP