“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth … From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. “
Acts 17:24, 26-27
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JANUARY 20, 2025
How amazing! God, Creator of the whole universe, carefully places each person from every nation in a specific time and place. Why? He arranges these details to encourage us to seek Him, reach out for Him, and find Him. This week, we see this truth clearly illustrated.
Let’s read as this remarkable story begins.
“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!’
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.”
Acts 10:1-8 NIV
God placed Cornelius, a Roman officer commanding at least one hundred men, in Caesarea, a city on the Mediterranean coast of Judea which headquartered the forces occupying Israel.* Here, Cornelius encountered God through the Jewish people. Exposed to their beliefs and customs, he and his family become “God-fearers” who respect and follow Jewish teachings but are not full converts to Judaism.* We now find Cornelius earnestly seeking after the one, true God during a regular hour of Jewish prayer.
But this prayer time is far from regular. An angel of God appears with a divine message just for Cornelius! He is to send messengers to retrieve the apostle Peter from Joppa. Cornelius immediately obeys, setting events into action that will bring a deeper and fuller understanding of God to everyone in this story. And these events will bring salvation to Cornelius and his household.
As with Cornelius, God has orchestrated the events of our lives to lead us to seek Him, find Him, and give us deeper and fuller understanding of Him. God does not leave any of us where we are. Let’s commit to seek after God today!
*NIV Study Bible
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- How has God marked out your times, places, and events to lead you to seek Him?
- What have you learned about Him? How is he drawing you to a deeper understanding of Him?
- Take some time to seek him right now in prayer.
Church Reading Plan: Genesis 21; Matthew 20