What, exactly, is God doing in our world? I know you have heard that the devil is in the details. He probably wants to be. But I say to you that God is in the details. I learned this from my friend Bill. A lifetime of prayer convinced him that God was intimately concerned with the intricate details of our lives. As I prayed about a life-changing decision, Bill’s words rang true. God directed my steps specifically. Listen to people who pray.
Luke also cared about details. He knew Cornelius by name. The regiment in Caesarea was called the Italian regiment. Cornelius was a Roman centurion. Bible scholars call Cornelius a God-fearer. Even before he met Christ, he was a good man who prayed and gave generously. God decided to arrange a meeting of Cornelius with Peter. In a vision, an angel called the centurion by name, telling him to send for Simon, called Peter, who was staying with Simon the Tanner in Joppa. Imagine if the centurion’s men had not known which Simon to fetch. God was specific in his instructions.
God supernaturally intervened to extend his Kingdom to include the Gentiles as well as the Jews. What does this mean to us? First, God knows what we are doing. No act of kindness is ever wasted. My father-in-law, Jim Freeman, inspired me to take the grocery cart back to the entrance of the store. He always did more than he had to. I want to be like him because he was like Jesus.
Second, God is relentless and specific in bringing people into his kingdom. I am certain that he cares about every detail of our lives. Even more, he cares about every person in our world: Christian and non-Christian. God’s great work is to advance the gospel in our world. This is what God is doing. Henry Blackaby wrote, “Find out what God is doing and join him in that work.” Simon did that. Will we? How? Write down some specific ways you intend to join God’s work of taking the gospel to the world. Is there someone you are supposed to talk to today. Don’t wait!
