Irvin Wasswa- Tylertown Campus Pastor LHBC
Acts 3:1-16
3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant[b] Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus[c] has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
I LOVE the book of Acts! The story of how the first century Church came to being, along with how the Lord used the church to do mighty things in His name during that time. In Acts 3 we see the continuation of the movement of God. Peter and John meet a man who has never been able to walk in his life. The man’s way of earning a living was by begging for money. When Peter and John are asked by the man for some money, Peter’s response was I have something so much greater than that and in the name of Jesus he commands the man to stand up and walk! WOW!
What I love most about the narrative are the different responses from the people in the narrative. We first and foremost see the man who is healed respond by walking into the temple fired up and excited about what just happened. It says that he praised the Lord in the temple! For believers when the Lord is at work in our lives personally our first response ought to be to praise Him, for He has great things for us as Psalm 126:3 mentions.
Secondly, we see the response of the crowd of people there at the temple at that time. The writer Luke mentions how they all marveled at what the Lord had done. They were so intrigued at what all the Lord had done, they couldn’t help but to stand in amazement. When is the last time you just marveled at the greatness of the Lord for how He moved in said situation in your life? Or when He provided in that certain way when in your mind there seemed to be no way He could? Listen, may the everyday working miracles the Lord does in and around us lead us to marvel at His greatness and may it stir our affections to love Him more deeply.
Thirdly and lastly we see the response of Peter. When Peter saw the response of the people for what just transpired, he spoke boldly to how the miracle took place. Peter stepped up and shared the Gospel with the people. Our response to the movement of God is to not just praise Him for His greatness, nor to just marvel in amazement, but give testimony of it to others. We God is at work in our lives we ought to share that with others. God many-a-times opens a door for us to share the gospel when He is working. So we ought to be like the psalmist was in Psalm 66:16 when he said, “Come and hear… for I will tell you what He has done for my soul.”
We ought to respond like these three groups when God does a work in our life and in the life of others. When is the last time you have praised Him for the great things He has done for you? When is the last time you have marveled in amazement at the greatness of God? When is the last time you have given personal testimony or shared the gospel with someone? May we choose to respond when God is at work!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for continuing to do great things in my life. Help me to choose to praise You and give testimony of Your greatness when You are at work in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Psalm 42:5- Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him my salvation.