Day 25 – Standing in God’s way

“And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?” Acts 11:17 NLT

God gave Peter a revelation by showing him unclean animals to eat, which he refused. The third time Peter realized God was showing him something different from what he held as truth in his heart. God gave him an instruction contradicting his mindset and guided him to step out of his comfort zone of religion and into a place of blind, faithful trust. We make distinctions between what we believe and what the Truth of the Word says.

If Peter did not open his heart to the revelation from Heaven and stubbornly stuck to what he felt is the truth, many Gentiles would not have come to the Faith. He would have stood in God’s way as he explained to the Jewish believers criticizing him upon his return to Jerusalem. They believed as he did first, that he was breaking their religious rules. But the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to the revelation of truth just as He does with us today.  

Truth breaks the boundaries of our limited thinking and understanding of what we think is the truth and God’s ultimate, mind-freeing truth. Peter submitted to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, going against the world, and not standing in God’s way of sowing and growing in His Gardens. Partnering with God to work in His appointed Gardens is to partner with the Holy Spirit in obedience.

Prayer: Father, sometimes I stand in Your way by stubbornly believing my perception of truth. But, just like Peter, I ask that You relentlessly persist in us opening our hearts to Your truth so we do not stand in Your way. Amen.