Read Acts 10:1-8
Devout. God Fearing. Give Generously To The Needy.
Cornelius was not a Jew. He was a Roman centurion (military man). Yet he was highly respected by the Jews. He and his family were devout and God fearing. He gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. Because of Cornelius’s heart commitment to the Lord, God saw how sincere he was to pray, and give regularly to the poor. As a result, God appeared to Cornelius in a vision. An angel of the Lord said to Cornelius, “Now send men to the city Joppa and bring back Peter.” So Cornelius sent two of his servants and one of his devout soldiers to Joppa to find Peter, and bring him back as the Lord Commanded.
By definition, I would not have expected Cornelius to be a follower of the Lord because he was not a Jew, and he was a Roman officer. However, he was a devout follower of the Lord which means he had a profound reverence to God, a deep spiritual dedication to God, and an unwavering commitment to God. It was evident because of his great prayer life, and how he gave generously to those in need. To God, it doesn’t matter what your background is. What matters is your heart.
God had a vision for Cornelius because of his heart. What if I told you God has a vision for you and your life? Would you believe me? Would you want to know what it was? If your answer is yes, then follow the example of Cornelius:
1. Be a devout follower of Jesus.
2. Pray to God regularly. And
3. Put your faith into practice and generously help the needy.
Now get ready, because God will reveal the plan he has for your life, his vision.
What’s holding you back from being a devout, God fearing Christian who gives generously to those in need?
