There are moments when we ask God for direction because we cannot see what lies ahead. We pray for an open door, for confirmation, or simply for enough light to know what our next step should be. And sometimes, while we are still asking, God is already at work in places we cannot see.
Today I am standing in Joppa, the biblical city known today as Jaffa, along Israel’s Mediterranean coast. Whenever I come here, I think about Peter and the remarkable events recorded in Acts 10. Peter was here praying, unaware that God was already doing something in another city that would soon change the direction of his life—and help carry the Good News of Yeshua farther than Peter had imagined.
Joppa was already a significant place in Peter’s journey. Not long before, Tabitha, a beloved disciple, had died. God raised her back to life through Peter, and Acts tells us that many people throughout Joppa believed in the Lord. Peter could easily have looked around and thought, This is where God is working. This is where I should remain.
But God could see farther than Peter could.
While Peter was praying here, he received a vision that he did not immediately understand. What God showed him challenged assumptions Peter had carried his entire life. His first response was resistance: “Not so, Lord!” Yet even while Peter was wrestling with what God had shown him, something extraordinary was happening about 35 miles north of here in Caesarea.
A Roman centurion named Cornelius was also seeking God.
Cornelius did not know Peter. Peter did not know Cornelius. Neither man could have arranged what was about to happen. But God knew them both.
The Lord spoke to Cornelius and told him to send men to Joppa for Peter. Those men began their journey south. Meanwhile, here in Joppa, the Holy Spirit was preparing Peter for their arrival.
Before Peter knew where he was going, God was already preparing where he was going.
I love that truth because so much of our walk with the Lord requires trusting Him with things we cannot yet see. We often want God to show us the entire plan before we move. We want to know where the road leads, how everything will work out, and what will happen when we arrive.
But Peter received none of that. He received a vision. Then there was a knock at the door. And when the Lord made the next step clear, Peter went.
When he arrived at Cornelius’ home in Caesarea, Peter found a room full of people waiting to hear what God had given him to say. He began proclaiming Yeshua, and while he was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon those who were listening. Only then did Peter begin to see the larger picture.
God was showing him that the Good News of Messiah was going forth to the Gentiles. What Peter experienced in that house was far greater than a personal answer to prayer. God was opening a door that would carry the Gospel across boundaries, cultures, and eventually nations.
And there is something about standing here in Israel today that makes that story especially meaningful to me. The Gospel that went out from this land eventually reached nations Peter would never see and generations he would never know.
Today, believers across America pray for Israel, stand with ministries here, give generously, and help the Good News of Yeshua continue to be proclaimed among the people from whom that message first went forth. You are part of a story that crossed borders long before any of us were born.
Through Voice of Judah Israel and our work together with Beit Hallel Congregation here in Israel, we continue to see God bringing people together for His purposes. One person shares the Gospel. Another helps make that ministry possible. Someone prays from thousands of miles away. Someone here in Israel hears about Yeshua for the first time. We may never see every connection God is making, but He does.
Perhaps the same is true in your own life today.
Maybe you are praying about something and wondering why you cannot yet see the answer. Perhaps you are facing a decision, waiting for direction, or sensing that God is preparing something new. Remember Peter here in Joppa. While he was praying, the answer was already walking toward him.
God had already spoken to Cornelius. The messengers were already on the road. The destination was already being prepared.
Peter simply did not know it yet.
So my prayer for you today from Joppa is that you will trust the Lord not only for what you can see, but also for what He may already be doing beyond your sight. May He give you wisdom through His Word, sensitivity to His Spirit, and courage when He makes the next step clear.
And as you pray, please continue standing with us for Israel. Pray that God will prepare hearts here to hear the Good News of Yeshua. Pray for wisdom and boldness for those sharing the Gospel. And pray that the Lord will continue bringing together people, resources, conversations, and opportunities for His purposes—just as He did in the days of Peter.
From Joppa, where God once prepared a road Peter could not yet see, may you be encouraged today: the Lord can be working ahead of you long before you know what He is doing.
Shalom from Israel,
Pastor Israel