Today is Tuesday, February 4th, 2025. The human heart is fragile and, for some, easily wounded. We’ve all experienced this, but we must never define God’s judgment by our experiences. We must know God for who He is, not according to our own perspective. Read on...
Today's Reading:
Exodus 37,38; Psalms 19; Acts 11
Scripture
“I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’" (Acts 11:8-9)
Observation
Peter was criticized for bringing the Gospel to the non-Jewish population. In response, he recounted his experience—how God appeared to him and declared that the time had come for the Gentiles to be included. The key phrase is found in verse 9: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
Application
When the blood of Christ covers a person’s past sins, God calls them clean. The real struggle is often within us! Through repentance and forgiveness, we who were once impure have been made clean. Yet, when it comes to others, we tend to hold onto past hurts and assume that God sees them the same way we do.
We must learn to separate our human hearts from His. The problem may not be with them—it might be with us. While we recognize our own frailty, we must also acknowledge the power of His blood. I cannot assume that God always defines others the way I do.
(Sometimes, I won’t allow God to call someone clean until I do!) I can fall prey to defining God ...according to me.
Prayer
Lord, continue to work on our hearts and heal any brokenness. But until the healing is complete, help me to see people and past events the way You do. Forgive us for discounting their faith or sincerity based on our own perspective. Help me to be like David, who was called a man after Your own heart.
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