The Verse - Acts 17:24-25

God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things." Acts 17:24-25

As I previously mentioned, I am slowly (very slowly) making my way through the book of Acts. It is such an inspiring book, and I am in constant awe of the faithfulness and courage of Paul and the other apostles/disciples.

I was given a newfound appreciation of the verse above after hearing the testimony of a lady at church. It was a few months ago, but her testimony so encouraged me that I thought I'd share it with you.

This lady, let's call her Sue, grew up in East Asia and her parents had brought her up in the practice of idol worship, taking her to the temple to light incense and give offerings. She said that when she was a child, the temple and the idea of spirits and demons always frightened her. 


One day her aunt invited her to Church. There she learned about the the God of the Bible and Jesus. She said she found it interesting, but it wasn't until someone shared this verse with her that she had a real revelation. She finally understood that the true God, who created Heaven and Earth, doesn't live in temples and is not dependant on human service. I love that God uses a whole variety of Scriptures to speak to people, and the words that Paul spoke to the Epicureans around 60 A.D can bring someone else to faith in Asia 2000 years later, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I think it's also important that we remember this too: God does not live in the church building. Although we may go to church to worship God and learn from the Bible, we don't have to wait until Sunday to draw close to God. We can do this whenever we make time. Just think about it - the God who created the entire universe is just waiting for us to give him some portion of our day. 


In addition, He doesn't need to be in a relationship with us. After all, as the verse above states, He doesn't need anything - paraodoxically, it's we who need Him. He gives us life and breath and everything else. Yet He loved us so much that he wanted to reconcile us to Himself through His Son, so that we might be able to have communion with Him. What an amazing God!