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Reflections
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It is a sobering thing to desecrate what God has made holy. In Daniel five, we read about the downfall of Babylon’s King Belshazzar. During a massive party, as the celebration reached its peak, Belshazzar defiled the gold and silver vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. The party ended when the finger of God wrote a message on the wall: “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting” (Daniel 5:27). That night, Belshazzar died, and Babylon was conquered.
God saw all that transpired on the final night of the Babylonian kingdom. He was displeased with everything, but when the king stepped across a line, God said, “Enough.” Sometimes, we forget that God sees everything—every moment, in every corner of the earth, and within every heart and mind. Judgment doesn’t always come immediately; we are deeply grateful because we all deserve to be struck down.
Fast-forward to the New Testament church, where God still saw everything—every thought, every word, every deed. Once again, He weighed someone in the balances and found them wanting. But this time, it wasn’t for a deed that displeased the Lord; it was for something that pleased Him.
God’s ultimate plan was to provide salvation for the entire world. The Jews did not know their wonderful experience of Pentecost was for the whole world. After establishing the plan of salvation with His own people, I imagine God began looking among the Gentiles—perhaps weighing them in the balances and finding someone ready to be the first Gentile to receive the revelation.
God’s attention fell on one among the thousands of Gentiles living at that time. Why was Cornelius chosen? God could have picked anyone. What did Cornelius do to capture the heart of God? Acts chapter ten gives us the answers. Cornelius “feared God,” meaning he showed awe, respect, reverence, submission in humility and faith, and a hatred of evil. He “gave much alms,” meaning he generously donated money and offered services to others. And he prayed—Cornelius maintained constant communication with the Almighty.
I find it interesting that giving was a quality that drew God’s attention to Cornelius. We often get demonstrative when someone preaches about awe or reverence for the Lord, and rightly so. More than eight thousand times in the Word of God, we are called to worship. We also get excited and challenged when we hear a message on prayer, which is fitting—prayer is mentioned over six hundred and fifty times in the Bible and is our lifeline. But when we hear a message on giving, the atmosphere in the room can tense up. We might feel uncomfortable if a preacher dares to address our wallet.
Giving caught God’s attention when choosing where to open the door of New Testament salvation to the Gentiles. Giving is an attribute of God: “God so loved the world, that he gave” (John 3:16). Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When God is weighing us in the balances, let’s catch His attention with a lifestyle of reverence, prayer, and giving!
