A Memorial Before Him

And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.  Acts 10:4 (NASB)

Just to give the context, this is the story of Cornelius, the Roman centurion who was a devout follower of the Lord but knew nothing of Christ.  God used Peter to fill that gap.  It's a great story - if you're not familiar with it, head over to Acts 10 and take two or three minutes to read it.

What struck me this morning was verse 4.  I hope to blog more in depth about it soon on my thoughts blog.  But, for now, I want to share the thing that hit me the most.

Cornelius did everything he knew to do to honor the Lord, and in doing it all with his whole heart, he greatly honored the Lord.  When the time was ripe, the Lord then showed Cornelius what he needed to do next.   But, the beautiful thing is that at this point Cornelius was doing everything he knew with his whole heart. 

My amazing Savior has blessed me so greatly with a knowledge of Him and with clear instructions regarding what He expects of me.  Am I faithful to Him in what He has shown me?  Am I obedient to those things?  Do my words, actions, offerings, and prayers rise up to Him as a memorial?  As a sweet incense?  As pleasing to His senses? That is my challenge, and I accept it with great delight!