God gives the next steps to Peter and Cornelius. This fact is comforting as we contemplate significant decisions in life. Are you seeking the Lord today for the next steps? If you are, the Lord wants to guide you as you seek Him.
As we look at Cornelius, we see that he was a God-fearing man going about his life when God sent an angel to him in vision to give him the next steps. Acts 10:4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! 5 Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.[1] Although the Lord can give us the next steps through an angel, most often, the Lord communicates with us through His word, the Holy Spirit, and wise counsel.
Peter Gets the Next Steps
Later in the story, the Holy Spirit gave Peter the next steps when he needed to know what to do as men came to his door. Acts 10:19 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. 20 Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”[2]
When our daughter was in seventh grade, we were disappointed to see the local junior high school’s poor academic quality and environment. We chose to bring her home so she could attend an online school. In a situation like this, it is easy to be overwhelmed, no matter how young or old you are. As we sought the Lord, we wondered if we were following the right path the Lord had for us. In retrospect, the Lord guided us even when we were not sure.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [3] Too often, we lean on our reason, the opposite of what the Lord wants us to do.
Guidance by the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit in the Bible is called the helper, advocate, or counselor and plays a vital role in every believer’s faith life. After Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come and lead them into all truth. On Pentecost, Jesus kept His promise as the Holy Spirit came.
The Holy Spirit is like having a compass. To listen to the voice of the Spirit, we must quiet our minds like a traveler stopping to look at their compass. This could be through prayer, meditation on God’s word, or simply being quiet before the Lord. The Holy often speaks with a gentle whisper, a nudge, and not a loud audible voice. Following the Holy Spirit is about trust, just as a traveler trusts a compass or a map. Today, let God be your compass as you look to the Lord for your next steps.
To learn how God gives the next steps, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/double-visions
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.