Acts 8:14 “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
By now, the disciples must have really been scratching their heads! In the beginning, most of the disciples were Jews; however, now God was sovereignly bringing in all kinds of people without regard for anybody’s prejudices. Philip preached in a large city in Samaria and many people came to Jesus. Now Peter and John came and laid hands on these Samaritan converts, and they received the Holy Spirit. For the Jewish believers, this was mind – blowing! And this experience was also necessary. God was trying to show the disciples that Jesus really did mean it when He told them to go to the ends of the earth to tell people about Him. And in case the disciples hadn’t really gotten that message clearly, God sent the Holy Spirit to confirm that there was no distinction between Jews and Samaritans any more.
Today as we face the problems raised by COVID – 19, all kinds of new alliances are taking place. Groups that previously had nothing to do with one another are finding that they need one another and that in fact, the contributions from each group are valuable. God is always doing new things, and He is still working, even in the middle of this pandemic.
Today, why not ask God to show you new ways that you can be kind to people and reach out to someone new? Wonderful things can happen when you allow God to guide you!
PRAYER: Father God, forgive us for our prejudices and our blindness! Help us to look beyond our fears and our preconceived notions to see the people you want us to help. Thank you that you will guide us and also provide the strength and wisdom so that we can truly minister to others. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.
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