Press the arrow to listen to “Hear Us From Heaven” from New Life Worship as you read today’s devotion about listening to God.

Scripture
On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up… Acts 10:9-11

Observation
Waves lapped at the shore. Just up the hill glistened a white washed cottage. In the kitchen women were busy kneading and dicing to get lunch ready. They wanted this to be a special meal because the great apostle Peter was their special guest. Up on the family patio, Peter was resting before lunch time. While his stomach growled, he used the few moments to pray. It was a normal day in a small fishing village, but history was just about to change.

Peter didn’t know about the angel that had visited a Roman of all things. He didn’t know about three men approaching the house where he was resting. Peter didn’t know that he was about to upend 1,500 years of Jewish tradition by entering the house of a Gentile. Peter was meditating in the sun, waiting for lunch.

There is something ordinary about this extraordinary scene. It could be an everyday day that any one of us could live. But something about Peter made it different. Peter was the right man in the wrong place. The congregation he needed to speak to was in a different city. Revival was about to bust out in Caesarea and Peter was waiting for lunch. Nonetheless, there was something in Peter’s spirit that was listening even when he was resting.

Application
How can I be in the right place at the right time to be useful to the Lord? I could become compulsive about it and neurotically examine the will of God. Peter, gives me a different example. The man who had walked on water and had seen 3,000 converts at his first meeting, took a few minutes before lunch to pray. History changing events can swirl around us. We too can be part of them if like Peter we’re listening for the voice of God as much as hearing our stomach’s growl.

Prayer
Father, I want to be in the right place at the right time to be of use to you. You have total access to my ordinary moments as well as the extraordinary ones. My beeper is on Father. I’m on call. Amen.