Jesus Turns Things Upside Down [Acts 10]

24On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.26But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am just a man." 27As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. 7As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. 28And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.

I can't even fathom how hard it was for Peter to not only accept unclean foods as clean, but then to be challenged to accept unclean people as clean. His whole life had revolved around Jewish laws and traditions on clean foods and associations. Then, in a short few days, that whole tradition was turned on its head. It would be like being told your whole life that hot was hot and cold was cold and then all of the sudden seeing that the reverse was the real truth! Just think of how disorienting that would be. But that is exactly what Jesus did for Peter then, and for a whole lot of believers throughout the ages. And it is still happening. As I study God's Word and see the truth through the work of His Holy Spirit, my world constantly gets turned upside down and even inside out. It is still disorienting for me to learn God's way versus my natural way or the way the world operates. This story about Peter in Acts 10 is comforting as I struggle to grasp God's ways each day. And each day I have to conclude that I can't embrace and walk in the truth of Jesus' Word without Him and I have to ask Him to do that work in me, just as I imagine Peter had to do so long ago.

I praise you for Your ways that are not my ways and for your clear instruction of Your ways in the Word. Cause me to understand Your ways and to embrace them and walk in them through your powerful Holy Spirit.
Beth Warlick, 4/25/2009