IT'S A MEMORIAL - OUT OF FEAR

DAY 329
FAITH FILE: CORNELIUS
SCRIPTURES: ACTS 10

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
ACTS 10:1-4

Memorial – a statue or structure established to remind people of a person or event. A record

This is for every single person who is wondering if God is seeing all that they’re doing. For that person asking, “Is he seeing my prayers? Is He seeing my fasting? Does He see my sacrifice? What about all the seeds I’ve sown? Draw comfort from the life of Cornelius. He was a Roman official, which means he was not a Jew but a gentile. Yet, he and his household feared the Lord and prayed to God always. He also gave to the poor and lived uprightly.

Yet, I doubt that any of this was easy. Considering how the Pharisees are, chances are they may not have embraced him as one of theirs and he felt like an outsider. We can infer this because God had to show Peter a vision three times before he could even contain the idea. As far as Jews were concerned Gentiles were unclean outcasts that had no place in the promise of Abraham. So no doubt, when he showed up to the synagogue he was not welcomed or treated with love.

Shun The Attitude

But their attitude toward him did not affect his devotion to God. He stayed true to God and converted his entire family. God was watching and God was taking notes. His life of faith had built a monument in heaven. He created a memorial, a statue IN HEAVEN!!! God had to come for him. He was not a Jew but he was God’s. He probably fell in the category Jesus described when He said, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:16

Beloved, just keep pleasing God. You might be giving, praying, seeking God, and living uprightly but people are judging because you don’t fit their mold, don’t worry. Just keep pleasing God. He is not man, He is watching, and your labour of love it’s nothing before God.

"For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Hebrews 10:6

That means it will become a memorial. But you will have to hold on and not despair when things get tough or because you feel God is not seeing. Ask the Lord for strength and grace to stay faithful to Him. Pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Shalom