“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’ “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

How do we address people who have been living a life away from Jesus, trapped in sin?

Peter gives us a great example here. First, in the preceding verses, he called out their sin against the Messiah, whose power healed the lame man, as they saw with their very own eyes. Now he helps them to see that, though sin blinded them and they acted in ignorance, God had a plan. His plan involved allowing Jesus to die at the hands of sinners — so he could be The Savior for those sinners to have a right relationship with God. And as verification of this being God’s work, he quotes the Old Testament prophecies to show that they were fulfilled in Jesus once and for all.

What a turn of events! God used the evil actions of sinful men to bring about their potential redemption into the kingdom of God! Is there any greater evidence that God can use our difficult circumstances (past, present, or future) for his glory? Is there any greater example of his unconditional love?

Lord, thank you that you redeem difficult circumstances for your glory. Even more so, you use difficult circumstances to redeem people into a relationship with Jesus. Oh, how I love you so very much for this!