Cornelius and the passion of God

One of the things I like about the story of Cornelius in Acts 10 is the sense of God's passion for people. Here's this Roman soldier who, by our standards, would be judged a nominal believer because he lacks the personal relationship with God through Christ that is so central to our evangelical mindset. Yet God, by contrast, doesn't judge him, he seeks him out. God's passion for Cornelius is such that he sets a whole scheme of things in motion in order to reach him. 

There's the elaborate vision that he uses to set Peter up for his task. A task God, in his enthusiasm for Cornelius, side-steps in the end. 

Who'd have thought that the God of all the universe would have the time to notice the prayers and generosity of one man. Not only notice them but be so moved by them that he would devise an amazing plan to bring him into contact with someone who could tell him what he needed to hear.

I know some people like Cornelius. Good people. People who pray and give. People who need to hear. People we sometimes find hard to reach because they are so close but so far. People for whom God may even yet be devising a plan.

So, let the passion of God for lost and missing people never cease to inspire those already found to be available for the opportunities he makes for us. And if you only get half way through your presentation, so be it. Better half way through than no way through, or even all the way through and no response!