Acts chapter 10 verses 1-7 (NIV)
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
We are not told what made this roman centurion put his faith in God, but we are told he was devout and God-fearing. He lived out that faith too. We read that at one of the set hours of prayer, he was doing just that.
To me that suggests he set a great example to his family and to others. We also see that he sends a devout soldier along with his servants to get Peter. Perhaps that devout soldier had been impacted by the testimony of his boss’s life. This surely is yet another of how important it is to live out our faith and not just talk about it. We never know who might be watching.
Dear Lord,
Surely this is a very practical example of how living our faith and not just talking about it makes a mark on others. Help me to do both. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.