Tues., 7/30/19 Devotion (Acts 17:21)

Today's encouragement comes from Acts 17:21, where we read these words:

"For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing."

Can we imagine having so much "free time," that we can stand around all day chatting about "new things"? Actually, this is exactly the situation today, with most modern people. Most of the sad souls in our own culture have nothing better to do, than to waste time, trying to fill themselves up with some “new” technical device.

The truth, however, is that there is "nothing new under the sun,” (Eccl. 1:9). All "new" thrills, "new" sins, and "new" experiences are actually very old, tired, tried, and worn-out. True newness, freshness, and excitement is found exclu-sively in Jesus Christ. New creatures in Him (2 Cor. 5:17), have new mercies from God every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).

[Puritan quote of the day: "Who ever stayed and waited long upon God, but he had more than he prayed for?” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up for the Downcast"]