Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matthew 7-8 and Acts 10-12 Focus on Acts 10
God knew Peter wouldn't be receptive to taking the Good News of Jesus to the Gentiles. Thus, He gave Peter a vision that would open the door to the task, and he repeated the vision three times. The vision was of "unclean" animals that God told Peter to eat. Peter was undoubtedly not the most devout Jew who ever lived. His work as a fisherman wouldn't have permitted that. Even though Jesus had pronounced all foods "clean" during His ministry on earth, Peter persisted in following Jewish dietary laws. We can be sure that Peter would have seen presenting the Good News to Gentiles--non-Jews--to be outside of what was right or acceptable. The vision, and it's repetition for a second and third time got the message across: God's salvation through Jesus is open to EVERYONE! That IS good news! Think about people in your life with whom you wouldn't ordinarily associate. Maybe there's a group at work or school who won't associate with you. That may be just the group with whom God is calling you to share the Good News. After all, no group is "unclean" to God. He calls us to reach out to everyone. Thank God for His inclusive love. Otherwise, we may be separated from Him, since most of us are "Gentiles" by birth. Take the time right now to ask God to open your heart to the "unclean" ones in your life.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for including me in the ones who are "clean." Thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross for me, even though no one could ever deserve such a sacrifice. Use me today to show Your amazing grace and love to those around me that the world--and maybe even I--view as unclean. Let me see with Your eyes, and love with Your heart. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
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