Scripture
28Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. 29So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.” 30Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. 31He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!
Acts 10:28-31
Observation
What if Peter and Cornelius had skipped their Devos that day? Peter was a Spirit-filled Jew and Cornelius was a God-fearing Gentile. They both had their routines of prayer, morning, noon, and night, to meet with God. I love the massive contrasts between these two. Peter was hungry and distracted, Cornelius was fasting and focused. Peter said “no” three times to God, Cornelius said “yes” immediately. God didn’t give Peter any details about the nationality of the men at his door while God gave Cornelius great detail on how to find Peter. Their homes were 30 miles apart but they were a million miles apart in culture and tradition. According to Biblical Scholar David Guzik, “It was common for a Jewish man to begin the day with a prayer thanking God that he was not a slave, a Gentile, or a woman. A basic part of the Jewish religion in the days of the New Testament was an oath that promised that one would never help a Gentile under any circumstances, such as giving directions if they were asked. But it went even as far as refusing to help a Gentile woman at the time of her greatest need—when she was giving birth—because the result would only be to bring another Gentile into the world. If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would have a funeral for the Jew and consider them dead. It was thought that to even enter the house of a Gentile made a Jew unclean before God. Ancient Jewish writings tell us of a Gentile woman who came to a rabbi. She confessed that she was a sinner and asked to be admitted to the Jewish faith. “Rabbi,” she said, “bring me near.” The Rabbi refused and simply shut the door in her face. But the Gentiles could give as bad as they got from the Jews. Gentiles despised Jews as weird traditionalists, and believed that they were evil plotters who worshipped pigs. After all, they thought, Jews refused to eat pork, so they must worship pigs! All of this changed with the spread of the gospel. Christianity was the first religion to disregard racial, cultural and national limitations.” What could possibly have prepared Peter to not only welcome Gentiles into his home and serve them, but to go into a Gentiles home? This ran against everything he had been raised to believe and observe. Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to The Cross. They were a representation of the tyrannical rule that oppressed the Jewish people. How did Peter see past this? What could possibly move a Roman Centurion loyal to Caesar, growing up in a pantheon of false gods- Jupiter, Augustus, Mars, Venus to risk his reputation, choose to worship The One True God and choose to trust a man he didn’t know? It was their daily devotions. Their time alone with God and His Word that prepared their heart to hear His Word.
Application
Peter and Cornelius had no idea that when they met with God that day it would not only change their lives, it would literally change The Church forever! In the same way, we have no idea when we make time to meet with God on a daily basis what He is preparing our hearts for. Obviously Peter didn’t see a life-altering vision from God every time he prayed. Neither did Cornelius receive unexpected instructions from an angel every time he prayed. Our daily devotions with God won’t always be life-changing, but they will always be changing the way we live our lives. We can’t be in the presence of God and not be changed. Acts 10:4 states, "4Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!” There is a healthy fear of the Lord when Cornelius sees the angel. The angel points out that the consistency of Cornelius has caught the eye of his Creator. All of those years wondering if God was noticing and this angel confirms that God was with him every time he prayed and every time he gave even if he didn’t see or feel him. This consistency in God’s presence led to a prompt response of obedience to the angels instructions. All of those daily devos led to this day of faith in action. We aren’t changed in a day, but we are changed daily. According to Barna Research 64% of Americans pray to God at least once a week while 32% of Americans read their Bible at least once a week. If we want to be ready for the next move of God we need to be meeting daily with God so our hearts and minds are ready to move.
Prayer
Lord, there have been way to many times when I have spent time in other ways over spending time with You. I repent for skipping our times together when life gets busy. I repent for treating times like these as optional. What if Peter and Corneilus had looked at their time with You as optional? You would have chosen someone else to see the Gentile church grafted in and they would have missed out. I don’t want to miss out on what You are getting ready to do because I’m too busy doing things instead of spending time with You. I want the “yes” heart of Cornelius. I don’t want there to be any lag time between Your instructions and my actions. Thank You for always meeting me here.
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