From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live. —Acts 17:26
Paul’s visit and time in Athens was not by accident. He was there for a purpose and on a mission.
Prior to turning 21, I had only lived in two different houses and attended three different schools, including college. We didn’t move around much and I grew up in the same church community for the majority of my years at home. After graduating from college, I lived my 20’s and 30’s in Phoenix, AZ and Nashville, TN, prior to moving to Montana. The Lord had a plan and purpose for each and every city I have lived in. At times, it feels like I am in the middle of nowhere Montana, but I know there is a plan and purpose for my life, even here.
Our lives aren’t determined by chance or luck and there is nothing unknown about us to God.
God has proven Himself to be incredibly detail oriented, and we see this as we read pages of genealogy throughout the Bible. In Genesis 10, we are given an account of Noah’s sons, and their sons, and their sons, establishing to us how He indeed made nations spread over the earth, after the flood.
The Lord has established each of our steps. He has placed us in our cities, our neighborhoods and our workplace for a purpose, like Paul was led to Athens. Paul took the time to look around and get to know his surroundings before he began preaching. I absolutely love this reminder. It is such a beautiful way to go about our daily ministry, wherever we are called. It’s important that we take the time to look for the needs, recognize the brokenness or incorrect theology, and speak the truth boldly and in love.
Our faith must be seen. The relationship that the Lord desires with us requires both private devotion and public admiration. We speak about the things we love. How quickly and enthusiastically do you reply when someone asks for favorite restaurant suggestions? Do you shrink back and get embarrassed? Or do you enthusiastically tell them the name of your favorite restaurant and then proceed to give them the rundown of your menu items? We naturally talk about the things we are passionate about.
We are influencers for the kingdom and our ministry takes place right where we are. Even if you feel alone, like Paul might have felt as he waited for Silas and Timothy, you can still make an impact. We must look around and “tour our cities” and believe that as long as we have breath in our lungs, we have God-given opportunities to bless the people around us with His Word.
Be empowered today, friends!
Have you purchased your Friendship Bible study journal yet? Not only will you find all of the daily reading passages and SOAP journaling pages, but you’ll have each of the daily devotions in printed form–no need to check the app on your phone while working through your study!
Don’t forget, the Bridge Reading Plan is only available in the printed journals! The Bridge is a two-week long reading plan designed to bridge the gap between two studies. In the Friendship journal you’ll find the Bridge Reading Plan along with two weeks of SOAP journaling pages and daily Scripture reading! Don’t miss this! The Bridge reading plans will walk through the entire Book of Psalms during 2021. This plan is found only in the study journals, so grab one today! You don’t want to miss out!
When you purchase a journal, you are helping us reach women around the world with the gospel. By purchasing a journal you help our incredible team of volunteer translators build up leaders around the world. Your journal purchase allows women to read God’s Word in their native language and have access to quality Bible study materials in the language they best understand. We hope you’ll join us on our mission to make God’s Word accessible to women in every nation and in every language!
Order your Friendship and Friendship for Kids journals here!
