Others May not Understand

Thursday, August 27th, 2026

4:32 am

Good morning! Today I am in Acts 11:1-16. The news had reached the other apostles and believers in Judea about what happened with Peter and the Gentiles. When Peter got back to Jerusalem, they questioned him, saying, "You entered the home of a Gentile and ate with them!" Peter told them about the vision the Lord had given him while he was in Joppa. And how a man named Cornelius had sent messengers to summon him because the Lord had spoken to him. He told them about the Holy Spirit telling him to go with the messengers because He had sent them, and how the Holy Spirit descended on the Gentiles when he was beginning to tell them about Jesus. He told them that when he saw this happen, he remembered what Jesus had told them, "John baptized with water, but you will baptize with the Holy Spirit." He told them that since God sent these Gentiles the Holy Spirit, just as He did for them, who was he to stand in God's way? When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. And saying, "We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.

The other believers did not understand why Peter had went to the Gentiles home and ate with them, breaking the rules that the Jews had set. But when Peter explained what happened and that he had witnesses, they believed him. Even though the apostles had spent all that time with Jesus, and Jesus repeatedly told them that His message of Salvation was to reach everyone, to the ends of the earth, they did not understand how it was going to happen. But what happened with Cornelius and his household, they were beginning to see how God was going to work His plan out.

Just like the other apostles were critical of what Peter had done, people will not understand when God calls us to do something. Don't let that discourage you from following what God has called you to do. Keep being faithful to God, trusting Him to work everything out, despite the criticism. Asking Him to give you the courage and boldness to keep moving forward. Because one thing is for sure, God's ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), His ways are not our ways. And His plans are far bigger and greater than anything we could ever even begin to imagine. It is up to us to remain faithful to Him, and trusting Him wherever He leads. God will direct your steps if you remain faithful to Him. The enemy will do anything he can to distract you from the plans that God has for you. He will use people and circumstances to try to get you off course, but keep your focus on God, and He will lead you. Trust Him today, and allow Him to lead you.