Good morning, friends.
Our verse for today comes from Acts 10:4, “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.’”
Whenever my dad walked into the house from work and hollered out my name, things happened. First and foremost, I responded. There was no such thing as being in the middle of something, and I didn’t have any earbuds jammed in my ears to prevent me from hearing him. And as I responded, my immediate thought was either, “What have I done?” or “What did I forget to do?” Whichever the case, it was not the time to gleefully come bouncing into the den expecting good news or a round of applause for whatever concerned me. No, I was fully anticipating the hammer to come down and the general direction of the day to take a turn southward. And to be clear, there was usually plenty I had done or forgotten to do. As I fast forward to the present, I suspect some of the same anticipation or dread arises within my own kids when I suddenly call out for them. Fortunately, many of the times that I do bark their name, I am trying to startle them just to get a reaction. And even though they have learned my prank pretty well over time, they are still a little trepidatious that first moment or two. And why is that? Why are we generally so conditioned to expect rebuke or disapproval in that situation? Is it only because of the tone and unexpectedness of the one calling out? I don’t think so. Is it because that person is prone to complaining and faultfinding? Perhaps. But I think deep within us we know that our shortcomings generally get the better of us, and there is usually something that deserves to be called out.
So, no great surprise that Cornelius stares at the angel in terror and asks what he had done. In his mind, angels don’t show up to hand out extra effort trophies. But the message from the Father came as a wonderful surprise. His commitment and devotion to the Most High had been noticed. And better yet, they had reflected a heart that was truly devoted to God. So, I would say to you, if your beckoning brings an uneasiness to the room, consider our calling to let not certain things come from our mouths, and to put away certain attitudes and emotions. And if you wonder whether your steadfastness and commitment will amount to anything, be encouraged that God does and will pour out abundant grace on His humble child.
As we seek Him today, let your positive outlook produce positive expectations.
Have a blessed weekend.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
