The Devotion that Pleases God
At Caesarea there was
a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a
devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the
people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly
in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared
at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your
prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before
God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He
is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel
who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout
soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to
them, he sent them to Joppa (Acts 10:1-8).
The Holy Spirit shows us God at work in the
heart of a Roman officer. We get a beautiful picture here of how the Lord
brings people together to accomplish His work in our world. The gospel was
spreading beyond Israel and beginning to bear fruit among the Gentiles in
fulfillment of God’s divine plan… “He came to his own, and his own people
did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12).
Jesus had affirmed the truth that He came to save Jews and Gentiles alike… “I
have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they
will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John
10:16). God’s grace was at work among the Gentiles, drawing them to Himself
and preparing them to receive the gospel message. The centurion and his family
would soon hear the gospel and believe in Christ because this devout Gentile
and his whole household had the devotion that pleases God.
God pleasing devotion produces a fear of
the Lord. Something about this Gentile Roman officer prompted a visit from
an angel of God. The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to record that Cornelius… “feared
God”. The Greek word for fear used here is phobeĊ, and it means to
frighten, to be alarmed; to be in awe of, to revere, to be afraid, to fear
exceedingly, and to reverence. Cornelius lived in a pagan culture where
there were many idols and false gods competing for his devotion, but his attention,
his heart and mind were devoted to the one true God, and in response, God
placed a holy fear and reverence in his heart. The scriptures promise that this
kind of holy fear leads to the discovery and knowledge of God Himself… “The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One
is insight” (Proverbs 9:10). Here God fulfills his Word by sending an
angel to arrange a meeting for Cornelius and his family with the evangelist
Peter. Like Cornelius, do we have a holy fear of the Lord that increases
our awareness of His presence and are we sensitive and responsive to God
fearing seekers around us?
God pleasing devotion inspires a generous
spirit. Cornelius’ whole-hearted devotion to the one true God left no room
for selfishness in his heart. In fact, the angel of God noted that along with
his prayers, his generosity… “ascended as a memorial before God”.
Devoted disciples recognize that God is generous with us so we can be generous
to others, and through our generosity God is glorified… “You will be
enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will
produce thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11). Does our giving
reveal a generous spirit that reflects the generosity of our Father?
God pleasing devotion compels a prayerful
heart. Like Cornelius’ pagan world, our culture is full of distractions and
temptations that compete for the attention of our hearts and minds. God calls
us to look away from the world… “If then you have been raised with
Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right
hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on
earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). I like the way the Holy Spirit inspires Paul
to compel us to place our hearts and minds in the presence of Christ where He
is seated. This is a powerful picture of what happens during times we devote to
prayer. Does our time devoted to sitting and conversing with Christ in the
presence of God reveal an increasingly prayerful heart?
As we grow up into Christ, we grow in reverence, generosity, and a
prayerful spirit through…
The Devotion that Pleases God.
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