No Fear Not

Bible Readings... Acts 10
Highlighted Verse... Acts 10:3-4 - 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.
Thoughts... Cornelius was a Roman Centurion. As such, he was undoubtedly a brave soldier, a commander of fearless troops, and proven warrior himself. Normally when an angel of the Lord appears to someone in the New Testament, the first thing the angel of the Lord says is "Fear Not." But here, the angel said "Cornelius!" and though he was afraid, he responded "What is it, Lord?"
How it impressed me... Everything about the story of Cornelius surprises us. We see a Roman who is devout and loves the Lord, an angel then calls that Centurion by name, the Centurion recognizes the call of God, the apostle Peter goes to visit the Roman and eventually the Gentiles are baptized. At any step along the way, any number of individuals could have followed societal norms and a much different outcome would have resulted. But, because each listened to God's call on their life, history was changed forever.
My response to God... Mighty God, you have a plan for my life, a calling that you have made, and I know that I have thwarted your attempts at times. Help me to never say "No" again... to always answer your call with a "Here I am Lord", that your will would be made complete in me.