Acts 11 – The Gift of Inclusion

The other day, my wife Suzanne mentioned to me that she found a T-Shirt she thought would be funny to get me.  The T-Shirt was a combination of simplicity and snark (my wheelhouse).  It said this; “I just had my patience tested… it came back negative!” Not sure I like what that says about my attitude lately, but at least the shirt was funny! 

That shirt got me thinking about our nature and expectations vs the nature of God and how he operates. That might seem like a leap, but on weeks when I am preparing a message it seems like everything gets pushed through that filter! God’s nature is consistent and good, but MAN, I do not enjoy His TIMING sometimes!!  Anyone relate? 

With those thoughts fresh in my mind on Saturday, I ended up having an unexpected encounter with the Lord.  I was driving through our neighborhood, and decided to pull into Lone Pine Park.  This spot, right near the splash pad, has caught me off guard with its beauty.  The views of the valley and the Siskiyou mountains can be breathtaking on a warm summer evening, especially around sunset.  Several times over the last five years, as my girls were enjoying the splash pad, I have sat there, incredibly content, as I took in the view while listening to my girls laugh and play.  I didn’t realize how much I had missed the view of those mountains.    

We have experienced a lot of smoke this summer, both literal and metaphorical. Smoke obscures and conceals the beauty around us… and the longer it lingers, the more I think I forget the beauty that once was so tangible and present.  On Saturday, as I pulled into the park and found a spot to sit near the splash pad, taking in the view available again because of the clear skies, I took in the glorious view of the Siskiyous.  “You’re back!!”  I thought as a measure of joy filled me thinking of those relaxing, somewhat idyllic summer evenings.  Quickly, I felt the Lord bringing a funny, and a little snarky correction to my thinking (which is my favorite way the Holy Spirit talks to me), “Drew…they were there the whole time, you just couldn’t see them, but they never left.”  

This week’s message was from Acts 10 and 11.  It was the moment the gospel, and full inclusion into the Kingdom of God was given to the Gentiles.  Cornelius and his family were the first ushered in, a shift that all of us reap the benefit of.  But what we often forget is that this gift of inclusion to the Gentiles was promised by God, first to Abram (Abraham) well over 2000 years ago.  There was a lot of smoke obscuring that promise by the time Cornelius and His family were filled with the Holy Spirit!  Nevertheless, the promise was still there all along.   

For all of us the troubles, complications, tragedies, and pain that life throws at us can obscure our perspective and limit our ability to see God at work. We can forget that He is true to His word.  We can forget that His thoughts and heart are for us, not against or indifferent to us.  We can forget that the mountains exist behind the haze of smoke. But God’s character and His purposes are more solid, firm, and immovable than the mountains.  God’s ultimate will is going to be accomplished. His promises will come to pass!  

This week, whatever you’re facing, may I encourage you to press into the unchanging reality that God is good!  That He is always working to accomplish His redemptive purposes. That He is unchanging in His love and goodness towards us!  Someday I am sure the “smoke” will clear, and once again His purposes, promises, and nature will be clearly visible again. They were there the whole time!