“For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”
(Acts 17:28)
The dependence of all creation upon the Creator is constant, absolute, and universal. Every breath and every movement of every living creature continues by the preserving power of God. Scripture declares that not only did God create all things in the beginning, but that all things continue in Him every moment thereafter. And apart from His sustaining hand, life itself would immediately cease.
And yet we often move through daily life with little awareness of our dependence on God. Ordinary mercies become so familiar that they are treated as natural rather than gracious. Still, every heartbeat, every faculty of mind, every movement of the body, and every protection from danger testifies to the continual providence of God.
Natural man believes himself autonomous and self-sufficient. He boasts in wisdom, power, and accomplishments while forgetting that he possesses no life at all apart from God. Even the strength used to rebel against Him is sustained by His providence.
This passage in Acts 17 confirms that the goodness of God extends to all mankind. He preserves life not only in the righteous, but also in the wicked. Those who neglect Him, resist Him, and speak against Him nevertheless continue to live through His sustaining mercy. So even His patience toward sinners displays His remarkable goodness.
But as believers, we especially have cause for thanksgiving for His sustaining providence is joined with His covenant mercy in Christ. The God who preserves natural life also grants spiritual life through the gospel. The same Lord in whom all men live physically is the One who brings dead sinners into new spiritual life through His grace.
Since life itself depends entirely upon God, nothing occurs outside His sustaining providence. Strength, weakness, health, sickness, prosperity, and affliction all unfold beneath His sovereign care. We therefore rest not in circumstances, but in the faithful God who upholds all things wisely.[1] So let us therefore live humbly and dependently on Him, grateful that God graciously gives not only natural, but also spiritual life through Christ.
Contemplations:
- My Constant Dependence Upon God. I often move through my ordinary life without remembering how completely dependent I am upon God for every moment. I speak, think, work, and breathe as though these abilities naturally belong to me, yet Scripture reminds me that even my continued existence depends entirely upon His sustaining power. I not only need God during moments of crisis; I need Him continually for every heartbeat and every breath. This teaches me that gratitude should shape even the most ordinary parts of my daily life.
- My Tendency Toward Self-Sufficiency. I can easily fall into the illusion that my plans, abilities, or efforts secure my stability and future. When things seem to be going normally, I think and act as though I possess sufficiency of my own. Yet this passage removes that false confidence, helping me realize that everything I call my own has been sustained moment by moment through God’s mercy alone.
- My Failure to Notice Daily Mercy. I often reserve thanksgiving for extraordinary events while overlooking the continual mercies that surround me every day. The preservation of life, the ability to think clearly, the strength to work, and the opportunity to worship are gifts I too easily take for granted. Yet every ordinary moment is actually sustained by God’s ongoing providence. I want my heart to become more aware of these constant evidences of God’s goodness.
- My Comfort in God’s Sustaining Providence. When fears about the future arise, I am reminded that my life has never rested in my hands. The same God who has sustained me until now continues to govern every moment wisely. My preservation does not depend on my strength, favorable circumstances, or earthly security, but on the Lord who upholds all things. This truth brings me comfort because it teaches me that nothing in my life unfolds outside of His providential care.
Prayer (Thanksgiving):
Most holy, eternal, and all-sufficient God, I give thanks that in You I live, and move, and have my being. Every moment of my existence depends entirely upon Your sustaining power. You uphold heaven and earth continually by Your wisdom, and apart from You no creature could endure even for a moment. I praise You that my life is preserved each day through Your faithful providence.
Lord, I thank You for the countless mercies that surround me continually, many of which I too often overlook. Every breath I draw, every step I take, every thought I think, and every ability I exercise comes from Your gracious hand. I confess that I often treat these mercies as ordinary and expected rather than as continual gifts flowing from Your goodness. Yet You remain patient and kind even while I fail to notice Your daily care.
I praise You for the wisdom with which You govern all things. Nothing in creation exists independently from You, and nothing unfolds outside Your sovereign providence. The order of the world, the preservation of life, and the sustaining of all creatures testify constantly to Your power and faithfulness. Thank You that the universe itself rests securely beneath Your rule.
Lord, I especially thank You for the patience You show toward sinful mankind. Even those who neglect You, resist Your truth, and dishonor Your name continue to live through Your sustaining mercy. This reveals how abundant Your goodness truly is. You do not delight in destruction, but call sinners continually to repentance through Your Word and providence.
Thank You for the spiritual life granted through Jesus Christ. You not only preserve natural life, but raise spiritually dead sinners through the power of the gospel. Through Christ, I have received mercy far greater than just earthly preservation. I praise You that the Savior who redeemed me also continually sustains me by His grace.
Lord, destroy every tendency toward pride and self-sufficiency within me. Teach me to remember always that I possess nothing independently from You. Every strength, opportunity, and blessing has been received from Your hand. Let humility and gratitude increasingly govern my heart as I live before You.
I thank You for the comfort found in Your sustaining providence. When fears and uncertainties arise, remind me that my life has always rested securely beneath Your care. You have upheld me until this moment, and You remain faithful in all Your ways.
Finally, I praise You that all things exist for Your glory and according to Your wise decree. Let my life increasingly reflect grateful dependence on You in all things. Teach me to recognize Your goodness not only in extraordinary mercies, but in every ordinary moment sustained by Your hand.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Further Scripture References for Acts 17:28:
Job 12:10; Daniel 5:23; Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4
[1] William Twisse, The Riches of God’s Love unto the Vessels of Mercy, Consistent with His Absolute Hatred or Reprobation of the Vessels of Wrath, (Oxford: L.L. and H.H. … for Tho. Robinson, 1653), 73.
