Text: Acts 17:22-31
Memory verse:
“for in Him, we live and move and have our being, ..”
Acts 17:28 NKJV
No one who was a science student in high school will ever forget the name Pascal. French Blaise Pascal was a renowned mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and Christian philosopher. Aside from inventing the first calculating device and many others, Pascal also made significant contributions in the field of the existence and nature of the vacuum.
Prior to this time, the prevailing philosophy that captured 17th-century France was reason. Its promoters attempted to construct a worldview governed completely by reason. They made bold statements like, “Who needs God? Man can make it on his own.” However, following his conversion, Pascal addressed this spiritual vacuum and responded, “The heart has its reasons, which reason knows nothing of.” His conclusion is in the abridged form of his quote. “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
Paul, addressing the council, said, “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along, I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.” (Acts 17:22-23 NLT).
The hunger for something more than this physical world is nothing new to humanity. Today, men only explore spirituality and practice religion in an attempt to satisfy the genuine human desire to know absolute truth and fill the inner vacuum, which is screaming for meaning.
Unfortunately, the void in our hearts can’t be filled by any created thing, including man-made systems of belief. This is what the people of Athens were doing as they devised their own system to satisfy that inner desire. Today, some may not seek to feel the void through idol worship like the Athenians but through keeping of the law. Despite his religious pursuits, Nicodemus, a devout Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews couldn’t find satisfaction until He found Jesus. Also, despite having kept all the commandments from his youth, the rich young ruler still asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”” (Luke 18:18).
Friends, only a real and vibrant relationship with Jesus will fill that heart vacuum and not any religion. Do you have a relationship with Him? If yes, is the relationship still intact?
Prayer points
1. Father, fill me with compassion for those who are ignorantly seeking You through religion and use me to bring the truth to them, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, help me to maintain my relationship with You and never to fall into religion, in Jesus’ name.
Today’s declarations
1. The God-shaped vacuum in the heart cannot be filled with things or any created thing but by God through a relationship with Christ.
2. To continue to have inner satisfaction, it’s important for me not only to have a relationship with Christ but to maintain the relationship.
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng