Daily Devotional Tuesday 24th March 2020
by William Moody
Acts 10:9–23
Peter’s Vision
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour1 to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation,2 for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.
The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
(ESV)
We considered yesterday how God was preparing Cornelius for this encounter with Peter and now we see how God was preparing Peter.
Peter was a devout Jew and maybe even had a sectarian or rascist element to his thinking, but God now breaks that down with this vision (v9-15).
It took the vision to happen three times to convince Peter (v16), as his previous views were so deeply ingrained. Within you, are there deep seated views and prejudices which hinder you from being effectively used by God in reaching out to others? Pray sincerely about this.
God’s timing was perfect, and Peter after the vision was just finished, hears that visitors have come to invite him to go to Cornelius’ home (v17-23).
Each of us do not know how God wants to use us in the future and we need to pray that God will be preparing us now, for what lies ahead. If Peter had not received this preparation, he would not have been used fruitfully in seeing Cornelius saved. Let us be open to what God has to teach us through His Word and the circumstances of life.
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