Contemplative Bible Reading

Acts 10:1-4 (New Living Translation)

In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius…One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.

Cornelius was one of THEM. He was a Roman, not a Jew. He was part of an occupation force, not a native. He was a warrior, not a peace maker. He was this and that and a lot of other things. Cornelius wasn’t one of US; Cornelius was one of THEM.

Nevertheless, an angel of God went to Cornelius and spoke with him.

Pause here a minute. I don’t recall any instances in my life when an angle of God came to me to talk—at least if it happened I didn’t recognize it as such. AND I AM ONE OF US, NOT ONE OF THEM.

God sent a messenger to one of them and caused one of them to become one of us.

This isn’t the way these things are supposed to happen—at least that is the way I see it and that isn’t the way I would do this. Be still; I am not God. Please God, help me to accept that each day. Help me in my unbelief.