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Acts 17:28a - In Him We Live And Move And Have Our Being.

Acts 17:28a - In Him We Live And Move And Have Our Being.

Acts 17:28a (KJV) For in him we live, and move, and have our 
being;  

   We don't really notice air. It's the environment we live in. 
It's always all around us, and we can feel it when it moves as a 
swift breeze. If we were suddenly deprived of it, we would certainly 
notice its absence. But other than that, we give it little attention. 
If we want to be conscious of it, we have to intentionally choose 
to think about it.  
   God is like that. He's always around us, and we can often 
detect Him when He moves. And if we were suddenly deprived of Him ... 
well, we would certainly notice His absence. But we often have to 
choose to be aware of Him.  
   Many passages of Scripture suggest that God is nearer to us 
at some times than at others - that He's near to the brokenhearted 
or the humble, for example, or that He will draw near to us if we 
draw near to Him. But verses like Acts 17:28 remind us that He is 
always near, as pervasive as the air we breathe. Though much of our 
experience of His Presence depends on His drawing near, much of it depends 
on our increasing our awareness of Him. We need to become noticers 
who, like Brother Lawrence long ago, "practice the Presence of God." 
 
   In our quest for a deeper sense of God's Presence, we need to 
remember that much of what we seek is already all around us. We live and 
move and exist in God. He is present in every atom of creation, and 
if we're observant, we can see not only His past handiwork as 
Creator but His current activity as Lord, Guide, Shield, Provider, 
Comforter, and Healer. Even when it seems like He is far away, He never is. 
Whether we sense His Presence or not, He is near.  
   Lord, I know You're sitting next to me right now. You're 
watching me, protecting me, even sharing Your heart with me. Help me 
become a noticer of Your Presence and acknowledge You in every 
situation.  [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris 
Tiegreen] 

   One morning in a theology class, my professor gave an 
assignment: "I want you to pray and meditate on a verse from Acts 17 for a 
month." Of course, my classmates chose a variety of verses, but I 
settled on Acts 17:28. I remember faithfully praying, "In him I live and 
move and have my being", every morning. Living with these words 
brought fresh insights throughout each day. As I wrote my reflections at 
the end of the month, I realized the words of that verse would stay 
with me until the end of my days here on earth. That was more than 
fifteen years ago. 
   Since that time I have experienced many of life's sorrows and 
joys, from the loss of loved ones to the births of four grandchildren. 
I have returned to this amazing and rich portion of Scripture many 
times during these years--especially when I have been discouraged--for 
it refocuses my attention on who I am and more important, on WHOSE 
I am. 
   Emily Tipton Williams, a violinist, Stephen Minister, and 
retreat leader, is the author of Restless Soul, a novel. [The One Year 
Bible Live Verse Devotional] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2003/20030825-0744.html