Devout in Daily Difficulties
Acts 10: 2: A devout man,
Cornelius' daily life included all the difficulties which surround every believer in this life.
- He was a man faced with the prejudices of race and religion. He was a Gentile from pagan Italy worshipping the God of the Jews.
- Cornelius was a man faced with the temptations that power and influence can bring. He was in a position of authority over a band of soldiers.
- Cornelius was a man faced with the pressure and temptations which come from great responsibility on the job. As a captain in the Roman army he was daily responsible to Herod who had spent much money rebuilding Caesarea in honor of Augustus Caesar. Herod was not afraid to kill a man for not doing his job.
- Cornelius faced the temptations of sin daily where he worked and lived. He worked daily among roman soldiers who were ungodly, immoral, and given to sin.
- Cornelius was faced with the pleasures which the flesh loves. Caeserea was situated along the pleasant waves and blue clear skies of the sea.
Yet, none of these things moved Cornelius. A devout man is one who, by God's grace, has committed himself to the care of the Lord and can not be drawn away from the worship of God by the prejudices, pressures or pleasures of this world.