Acts 10:9 – 16 | The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is impure or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.|

In this passage, Peter is confronted with a part of God’s character that is sometimes more challenging for us to wrap our minds around – God’s unconventionality. Peter’s perspective was that God was asking him to do something that the Law stood against, that being eating something deemed unclean. But God challenges Peter’s perspective on the matter – not once, not twice, but three times. The “box” that Peter had placed God in based on the Law, in an instant, was shattered. This moment in turn prepared Peter for his subsequent encounter with Cornelius and his men, a thought acknowledged in 10:28 – “He said to them, ‘You are well aware that it is against our Law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.’” How could Peter have gone and met with Cornelius and his men without this moment? What would Peter’s response have been if God had not challenged his presuppositions?

In my mind, this story breaks down into a few varying questions. Peter, it seems, had the perspective that he knew well enough God’s heart on the matter, because of the Law. But if that was indeed God’s heart, why did God challenge him about it? What about the New Covenant? What about Grace? I have to ask myself: Where do I “box” God in with Law? Legalism is a hard thing to combat sometimes, especially if it’s something you have grown up under. But those things…do they stand in opposition to the Grace and Mercy of God’s Love through Jesus? Where do they line up with the overarching goal of God for His Kingdom?

Secondly, God makes it clear that we are not to call anything impure that He has made clean. I mentally paraphrase this as, “Don’t speak words over things that God has already spoken over.” God is the final Word. All discussion ends with His declaration. The buck stops there. That being said, we need to constantly be asking God for His perspective on situations – and not resting in our own. This doesn’t even necessarily mean that we’re trying to pass judgment. Sometimes, we gauge situations based on previous experience, presuppositions or the experience of others that we know. We could have the best and purest of intentions in a situation, but it will not measure up to what God sees if we’re not asking Him for His eyes. We serve a God who makes old things new and turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Would it not be best then to put our hope, trust and word at rest upon His perspectives, His Words, His Grace?

So, I guess the challenge that jumps out of this passage to me is…where do I , in my perspective, box my great, mighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, before-time existing, uncreated God in? And how can I see things properly without seeking His perspective first?

Consider, for a second, 1 Samuel 24: 4-16.

Here we have David, confronted with a choice. David knows that Saul is after him and, quite frankly, won’t stop until David ceases to exist. Now granted, Saul’s real issue is not so much with David but with the LORD’s decision, but that’s another matter for another day. David is confronted with a very real choice here to end this entire situation with a swift cut from his sword.

For a moment, ask yourself: wouldn’t David be justified in doing it?
Doesn’t he have the “right” to take Saul’s life?

David asks himself the same question, and with the encouragement of his men, even takes steps to exact his revenge on the man who had caused so many complications in his life: he cuts off the corner of his robe.

And then he stops.

And remembers.

David remembered that the LORD is the One with any right to do anything, not David. He asked himself, “What is God’s heart for this situation?” Because the interaction that follows between David and Saul is that of the heart. David asks, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm?’ Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hands in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against the Lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed. See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you.”

David understood that we don’t have the right to simply cut when the sword and opportunity are available. We, as followers of Jesus, are bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6 mentions this fact in this way). We no longer have the “right” to react in whatever form or fashion strikes us in the moment. That’s not to say that there won’t be moments of temptation. Moments when the right word will cut to the very marrow of the person we’re dealing with. And maybe we’re even “justified” in responding that way. Maybe there is an offense that requires some form of loving confrontation. But the key there is love. There’s a song that says, “(In this hand) is bitterness. We want to taste it and let the hatred numb our sorrow. But the wise hand opens slowly to lilies of the valley and to tomorrow.”

We can choose to speak words of death into a situation and take revenge and have the matter cease on the spot. Or we can choose to speak life into the situation. We can choose to bless rather than curse, do good rather than mistreat and love rather than hate (Luke 6:27-29). We are bought at a price…do we even have the “luxury” of withholding grace? We live forgiven lives, and we forgive from that same place.

In verse 16, Saul begins to weep. Real and honest tears. And from David’s choice to let the “right” pass him by and surrender that choice to the Lord alone…to love rather than hate, to surrender whatever backlash or glory that would come of Saul’s death to the Lord…came the hope of real and full restoration.

Consider 1 Samuel 18:8

And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?”

Saul’s response here isn’t as much regarding David himself, but the work the Lord was doing through David.

Huge difference.

From time to time, when someone moves into a position of authority, it is forgotten that the position is truly God’s to give to whomever He declares. In forgetting this, when the time comes for a change in your role (as life often brings), it becomes a far more difficult transition than it needs to be. God has called us to be stewards of the places that we are influential-be that a job, at school or at church. Whatever your role might be, it’s never about title, but about the Lord’s purposes. So often we are enticed to a particular person or role simply by it’s title, not asking the Lord who He would see attending to the work of that role.

In a way, I find it a little ironic that we’re discussing stewardship of role when in the very beginning of 1st Samuel,  Hannah, Samuel’s mom, gives a stirring example of what good stewardship is. In 1 Samuel 1 (which we read a few days ago), Hannah presents a vow to the Lord that if He would bless her with a son, she would give him right back. And she did. Because Hannah understood that whatever good we have in our lives is from the Lord and in that, she was simply a steward.

So here we are, looking on at the inner struggle of stewardship, authority and anointing that was raging inside of Saul. One can’t help but wonder…do we hold on too tightly to the things that we call our own but truly belong to the Lord? How would it change our perspectives if we really understood that nothing we had was truly ours? Would it change our point of view on our jobs, our classes, our kids or our positions? Would it make us more thankful?

Today, a portion of our Scripture reading is 1 Corinthians 13, commonly called “The Love Chapter.” As I read through it this morning, something hit me in a way that was fresh and unique. In 13:4, love is defined within its expression; what love does and how it can be identified. As it moves on, it talks about the varying characteristics of love (patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not arrogant or rude or insistant or irritable or resentful, etc.). When I finally reached 13:7, I paused and read slower that, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Love bears all things? The dictionary defines “bearing” as remaining firm or holding under the weight. There are a lot of weighty things in our world and in our personal lives. But to uphold and stand firm in the love of God for one another, holding fast to His ways and consistantly placing ourselves under His Lordship expresses our faithfulness and devotion to Him.

Love believes all things? Love understands that with God, childlike faith is a must simply because He is God and, frankly speaking, the things He is “capable” of go far, far beyond our comprehention. In this same vein, we are called to believe what God has spoken out over us as well as over others. The Word, complete and full, is truth. In that, can’t reject what God has said about you, and who you are to Him.

Love hopes all things? We live in a world that doesn’t encourage having a hopeful disposition on the world at large. Pick up any newspaper and see if, by the end of reading it, you have a stirred hope. But love hopes. Love places its trust. Love sees with the eyes of faith that God is able. God is MORE than able. And knows that a whisper from the throneroom of God could change everything.

Love endures all things? Love is committed to seeing it through. To moving into a place of completion. Love wants to be found faithful and steady until the end.

The verse goes on to say that love never ends. I have also heard it translated, “Love never fails.” Perhaps, if we were to look at the world, our lives, our children, our situations, our churches, our ministries with love…it would look a bit different. Would we bear up under the weight and endure differently? Would we see others differently? Would we place ourselves in a position to see people the way God sees them? Would we see the potential instead of the lack? Would we endure and be faithful?

Let us be a people who bear. Who believe. Who hope. Who endure.
Who love.

Bob Dylan once wrote these lyrics: “You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed, you’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” We live in a world with many demands. There are demands on our time, energies and attention. I would venture a guess that many of us spend time “taking care of business.” You know…job, school, financial planning; all things in preparation for the future endeavors we plan on pursuing. These are important things, without question. But has it ever taken over? That nudging that the world causes in our hearts. “Yeah, more capitol, more gain…let’s go for everything we can.” Where does it cross the line from being responsible with our jobs (or means of provision) and being in it for everything we can get?

First, we have to clearly establish that there is, in fact, a line which can be crossed. Jesus does this for us. Luke 16:13 says, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Well, there’s the line. But what’s all of that about “serving money”? You can’t serve money, can you? Oh yeah. You can. That phrase “a slave to the money” isn’t a joke. When it’s entirely about more, more and more, it becomes less and less about what the Father’s heart is in providing all of that for you. Moreover, it’s all His, isn’t it? He’s entrusting you with it, not asking you to enslave yourself to it.

I am of the opinion that one can be a slave to the money in both having much of it and having not so much of it. If God is about the heart, wouldn’t the fear of money be as crushing as the love of it? The fear of not having, of not being provided for can be just as gripping as the love and longing for more. Both stem from the same place-a preoccupation with financial gain without purpose beyond personal motivations.

The point is…who has your heart? It’s your heart that He’s after. Is it the fear or the longing for more or is it the One who provides for your needs? Is it the Lover of your soul of the fatness of your wallet? Because when it’s all said and done…you’re gonna serve somebody.

In Chapter 15 of Genesis, we encounter a very human Abram talking with God. In his words, you can almost hear his voice filled with wonder and concern. The chapter begins with God reassuring Abram to not be afraid. I am a believer of the fact that God does not waste breath. If God said it, it needed to be said. Abram, in his questioning, says to the Lord, “How can I know that I will gain possession of it (the land promised)?” I picture this moment like a Q and A session between father and son. “Dad, how can that happen? I know there’s a song here but I just don’t know the words yet. I’ll hum along but…can you teach me the words?” The Lord replies, “Abram, bring me a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a young pigeon.” So, he does. He cuts them in halves (with the exception of the birds) and arranges them across from one another. It says (in v. 12) that Abram fell into a deep sleep, and that a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then, the Lord speaks. I wonder how softly or loudly God spoke to him, but I envision a loving whisper. Gen. 15:13 says, “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain…’” And I’ll pause there. Because the question Abram last asked God was, “How can I know?” And the Lord simply replies, “Know for certain…” Why? Because He spoke it. Because He said it. And God doesn’t waste breath.