By the Power of the SpiritSample

Old Dogs and New Tricks

I don’t usually like to write about myself in devotionals, but can I be honest with you about something?

The account in Acts 10 is one of the most personally encouraging stories in all of Scripture for me.

It gives me hope that no matter how long I have held a certain perspective, way of seeing, or way of doing things, I can still change if God wants it. Even if I think I am correct in my position(s), my teeth are never too long to be able to bite into something new.

Peter needed to learn something new. Something that violated everything he thought he knew. Something that went against how he understood himself, his country, and even his God.

God needed Peter to learn that God wasn’t just the personal God of Israel; He is the personal God of the whole world—everyone. To teach Peter this lesson, God asked him to violate what Peter thought were laws around his behavior—God-given laws.

It can be hard to relate to the food laws that ancient Israel lived by (see Leviticus 11:1-47). It's difficult to understand why certain foods/animals were “unclean” and therefore forbidden to consume. But Peter had grown up with this idea and accepted it.

However, the food wasn’t really the issue. The question that Peter faced, and one that we can face as men, is, “Will we allow God to do something new?”

Peter argued with God about what he was being told to do. He knew it was God speaking to him, but he didn’t like what God was saying because it went against what Peter knew.

Peter was finally convinced, and the result was that the first Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10). The Church was growing! But an old dog had to learn a new trick to be a part of what God was doing.

Prayer: God, I know I shouldn’t put You in a box that limits what You will do or how You will work. You are always working in the right ways to spread Your Kingdom. Help me see where You are working and be willing to work alongside You, even if I don’t always understand. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection: Have you ever seen God work in an unexpected way? Spend some time praying about the circumstances you want to see God move in and ask Him how He is working and how you can be a part of it.