Acts 13-14

“When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” (14:11). To Jews, the fact that Jesus was Messiah posed a problem (13:50), but when miracles were done among Gentiles, they often misunderstood the source. The Gentiles in Lystra thought that Zeus and Hermes (Greek gods) had appeared and healed the lame man. Today, we might think our good gifts come not from God, but from our own hard work, determination, or wisdom.

“He has shown kindness ... and fills your hearts with joy” (14:17). The first step of knowing God is recognizing his character: he’s the creator and giver of all good gifts.