Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.

Paul was at Athens. He was troubled when he saw the whole city given to idolatries. From their Unknown God, he began to preach to them about the one true God who is the creator of the universe and all lives that are therein. He addressed the one important question often ask by men: “Why did God create human beings knowing they would sin and forsake Him?”

The answer lies in verse 17: “That they should seek the Lord.” The word “seek” here means a diligent search. It is as a woman loses a piece of her precious ear ring and makes a thorough search in her house (Luke 15:8-10).

Can we know God? Yes, we can. It may come with some difficulties but it is not impossible. God has given the world many evidences of His existence (Psalm 19:1). Men just need to seek Him out. Christ promised that those who seek shall find (Matthew 7:7).

In Athens, Paul confronted a people who had absolutely NO knowledge of the true God. These people were intellectuals. Luke says of them, "For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing" (Acts 17:21). Yet, highly intelligent people can discuss and talk, but never come to the knowledge of the Truth. There are many highly intellect people who, having seen the universe and question its origin, refuse to come to the conclusion that there must be a highly intelligent Being who is behind this highly complex system but instead deny God and come up with an absurd theory of evolution. They simply refuse to seek God.

The highly intellect Athenians even had an altar to “The Unknown God” (Acts 17:23). Were they referring to a god that did not reveal himself and therefore, unknown to anyone? Or were they referring to a god who was unknowable, meaning they knew his existence but were unable to comprehend him?

The prophet Isaiah says: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6).

Those who sincerely and diligently seek God will find Him because He is near to each one of us. The God of this universe is a known God and is knowable (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20). The scripture says we can know Him. God revealed to Moses and when Moses asked the question that all men are still asking: “What is His name?” God replied: “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:13-14). The name means He is the self-existing one. He has no beginning, has no ending but is eternally, the absolute and unchanging God.

Can we know God? Yes, we can. The first verse of the Bible declares: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The scripture does not waste time to describe God and what He looks like but dives straight to the point and introduces Him as the Creator of this universe and all living things. When men accept and recognise God as their Creator, everything else will fall in place.

Men ask: “How did the universe come into existence?” “Where did life come from?” The Bible says God created them. We can know God; the creation is the proof of His existence: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1).

God has left His marks in the entire universe, in this planet earth, in man himself, that man has no excuse and say there is no God (Romans 1:20). God’s presence is EVERYWHERE; will you seek Him?

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.