Wednesday, September 14 – Acts 10:34-35

Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.”

When was a time you had preconceived ideas about a new person you met, but they turned out to be different than you expected? Even with good intentions, we often build ideas about people based on our first impression. Sometimes we are spot on and sometimes we are terribly wrong. In this passage, Peter’s eyes were opened to God’s heart for the nations in a new way. God was breaking down the barrier through Peter (Acts 10:9-16), and Peter was given a practical example of what this looked like. He saw a Gentile changed and made new through Jesus and the elimination of a previous barrier.

It is easy to get to know people who are like us and build community with others that we share common ground with. This is not wrong; it’s what comes naturally to us. But as we grow in our relationship with Jesus and see God’s heart for the world He created, it should cause our barriers to be broken down. Maybe you have heard God’s heart for the nations, but you haven’t had the opportunity to invest in someone different from you. Our goal should be to hear the Word and live out God’s heart for people as we interact with those around us.

• What stands out to you from Peter’s statement in this verse?
• When has God shown you something in reality that you had only learned in theory?
• Pray and thank God for teaching you through His Word and by seeing Him at work in the world around us.