It's Time to Go!
Today’s Verse:
And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting…. ~Acts 11:12a
Whenever I travel with other people, I am a strict adherent to staying on schedule so as not to miss our transportation or be late to our event. As we approach fifteen minutes before our departure, I remind everyone traveling with me that it’s time to go! In Acts 11, Peter was rehearsing to the church leaders at Jerusalem how the Lord opened the door for Gentiles to hear the gospel and be saved. It is a remarkable story of God’s mighty hand working through Peter and several other men. A key element in this story is our devotional verse this morning. Peter said, “And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting.” This morning, let us consider the importance of knowing and obeying the Spirit’s leading in our life.
We see a specific revelation.
Peter was praying when God spoke to him in a vision of doing something that would take him out of his comfort zone. What God wanted Peter to do was so important that He repeated this vision three times. In preparing us for something that God wants us to do, He always precedes it with a specific revelation. The revelation that God gives us comes from the reading, studying, or hearing of His Word. It occupies our mind and heart as we pray for God to make clear to us what it is that He wants us to do. It may be that God will repeat this instruction, or revelation, to us more than once to give us clarity and certainty. The point is that we must be sensitive that it is God speaking to us through His Word and prayer, and not our emotions or desire for personal gain that is our driver to action.
We see a spiritual responsibility.
When God spoke to Peter, he was told to go to a specific group of people at a specific location. In fact, God had certain men meet Peter at the house he was staying in to escort him to the house of Cornelius. We must remember that the Spirit’s leading in our life is always associated with the spiritual responsibility that we have in the lives of other people. We should be praying about witnessing opportunities. We should be praying about how we can minister to new and growing believers in our church. Pastors and teachers of God’s Word should be praying about what God wants them to preach or teach. The priority in our spiritual responsibility is centered on how we can take God’s Word to sinners so that they can be saved and to the saints of God so that they can be edified.
We see a spontaneous response.
Peter was so close to the Lord at that moment that the voice of the Spirit was clear and distinct. Peter responded in obedience to the Spirit’s voice. Peter also responded in faith. The Spirit told him, nothing doubting. We must remember that Peter was commanded to go to the house of a Gentile, eat with him, and preach the gospel. Up until that moment, no Christian Jew had done anything like this. This was considered a cultural prohibition. Peter was struggling and second guessing what the Spirit had told him to do. However, the Spirit told him not to doubt. The Spirit was telling Peter that it was time to go.
We see a splendid result.
Through Peter’s obedience, all of the men and women in Cornelius’ household were saved. Peter saw a powerful demonstration of the Holy Spirit that was reminiscent of what had occurred on the day of Pentecost. Peter learned that God is no respecter of persons when it comes to the gospel. Barriers were broken that day. Boldness filled the heart of other preachers to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. By following the Spirit’s leading, a great door was opened for the gospel and church planting.
We must be careful to always be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in our lives. Make sure your Bible reading, hearing, and praying work in tandem for the clear leading of the Holy Spirit. When He speaks to you, remember that it is time to go!
Have a Spirit-led God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Amos 6-9