Hi Everyone,
Sharing a devotion from Acts 3:17-21
17 “Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. 18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things. 19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.
Peter here is talking to the Israelites after he healed the lame beggar, He saw an opportunity to speak and he did. He speaks to the Israelite in a way that is not to condemn them but to bring them to repentance and to look to Christ. Despite knowing that what they did was in ignorance, this was something that did not derail God’s plan of sending Jesus to us to save us. In peter’s recognition that God has not stopped His plan even when Jesus was on the cross and all hope seemed lost.
Peter calls them to repentance and to turn their faces back towards God. How gracious is God in wiping our sins away in Christ as he took our sin and shame to the cross. To see the promise that Peter speaks of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord is such a gift that we get to receive now in the presence of God. God has kept his promise and is continuing to keep his promise that we will see Jesus face to face one day. Until then Peter says he must remain in heaven until the time for final restoration for all things. Peter thinks and believes that when people repent and turn towards God it would speed up Christ’s return. Friends let us repent and turn our faces back to God as He is Gracious to us! As well share of this Good News to our friends and family so that they may experience that time of refreshment as well!
Blessings,
Esther