Joppa

I have been zigzagging through the Bible today in an attempt to find a scripture that best describes what I am feeling.  It’s one of those times that I know my search will not leave me disappointed.

As it turns out, what I am searching for isn’t a scripture or a story—it is a place.

Today the gnawing I am feeling within resonates with a little town on the southwest coast of Palestine in the territory of Dan which became a primary port of Jerusalem during the reign of Solomon: Joppa.

As we study the history of a place, oftentimes the findings cause a place that we have never visited nor laid eyes upon to feel as “known” to us as the landscapes of our own little towns.

It was from the port of Joppa that Jonah “took ship to flee from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3).

Ironically, it was also in Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea-side, Peter resided many days.  It was there, on the house-top, where he prayed and God spoke to him in a vision. (Acts 9:36-43)

Interesting that one man is running from God and another man is running to God in the same port of Joppa. 

If you and I are as alike as I think we are; we must agree that we are both of these men.  One day we are running from God and the next we are on our knees longing to be as close to Him as possible.  

This constant game of tug-o-war ensues within our own Joppa, which by definition means “beautiful.”

It was in Joppa where Peter got down on his knees and prayed for a woman named Tabitha who had died.  Tabitha was raised from the dead.  Because of this miracle many people in Joppa believed in the Lord.  Beautiful indeed, this place called Joppa.

God captured the people of Joppa’s attention by breathing life into what was dead.  

As if raising a woman from the dead wasn’t enough, the vision God revealed to Peter when he was in a trance praying on the rooftop was a game changer.  God showed Peter that He does not show favoritism.  Up until this moment Peter had thought the message of God was for Jews, not Gentiles.  However, “while Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message…the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles” (Acts 10:44-45)

Turns out Joppa is a place where all live, Jew or Gentile, saved or unsaved.  

In Joppa, we can choose to run from God or we can choose to fall on our knees and pray to God.  We can speak life into what is dead and believe for miracles; and we can speak up when God says speak.  We can embrace each other, even when we don’t look alike.  We can acknowledge that God created us all in His image and granted each one of us repentance unto life. 

If we choose the path of the defeated, we can also look at our lives in Joppa as messy and hopeless.

My prayer today is that we choose the path of Peter and drop to our knees as we trust our Maker in our own “beautiful” place called Joppa.   

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote'