Sometimes our traditions can be the cause of certain “You talking to me?” moments.
Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 21, 24, 26, & 28 – And God said . . .
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Before taking on today’s Second Miler, take a few moments to read Acts 10:9-33. I’m asking you to read these daily passages to establish the basis for our discussion. This is the account of God sending Peter to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion who was of good report among the Jews. God had told Cornelius to send for Peter and to listen to what he said. What intrigues me in this account is the fact that God seems to deliberately bring Peter to a “You talking to me?” moment in order to get his attention, and to guide him in the plan God had set in place.
Here’s the picture of the event. Peter went up on the housetop of Simon the tanner’s house at about noon to pray. While he was there, he fell into a trance, and the Lord gave him a vision of a large sheet, bound at the corners, let down from heaven. In the sheet was all kinds of animals (both clean and unclean to the Jews), and the Lord told Peter to kill and eat the animals in the sheet. Peter, being a Jew by birth, was shocked at the command. Up until this point in time, Peter had never eaten the meat of any unclean animal. But at this moment, God commanded him to “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” There is no doubt in my mind that for Peter, this was a powerful “You talking to me?” moment.
Allow me to paint an even clearer picture for you. What do you think would be the response of someone who had devoutly adhered to the Jewish faith all his life regarding his lifestyle, especially food, bring told to enjoy a juicy porkchop, or some bacon or sausage with his morning eggs? Such a suggestion would be totally rejected by any good Jew. Yet here is Jehovah, God of the Hebrews, commanding Peter to do precisely that. Make no mistake about it. for Peter this was a major “You talking to me?” moment.
But that is what the Lord needed to do to bring Peter more effectively into the life of the New Covenant. And even with that, Peter was still in a place of questioning what had happened. Still, the Lord’s plan was working. For while Peter pondered his vision, men sent from the house of Cornelius to get Peter from Joppa were at Simon’s door, waiting to unknowingly confirm God’s plan to Peter. Here, the “You talking to me?” moment was a wake-up call for things that were about to change Peter’s life and thinking drastically. In this age, as we near the coming of Jesus for His Church, I am fully convinced that believers who truly desire to move with God should expect more “You talking to me?” moments as wake-up calls for the ministry at hand. Yes, I’m talking to you.
Manna for Today – Genesis 1; Psalm 119:89; Proverbs 4:20-23; Mark 11:22-26; Romans 3:4
My Second Miler by Dr. Beechard Moorefield 