Good Morning Friends,
As Peter and John were going in to the temple
to pray, they walked by a lame man begging at the gate. The lame man asked for
money to help support himself, but Peter and John had no money to give him.
Instead, Peter gave him an even better gift, “Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold
I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, walk.’” (Acts 3:6) And the lame man did walk -- immediately he began
to walk and leap and give praise to God.
This man’s healing caused a stir among the
people. They were amazed and filled with wonder. They stared at Peter and John,
wondering who these men were and what kind of power they possessed. It was an opportunity
for Peter and John. They could have drawn the attention to themselves. They
could have accepted the praise of the crowd for what they had done. But Peter
and John would not take for themselves what belonged only to God!
“When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Men
of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own
power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.’” (Acts 3:12-13)
Peter and John quickly shifted the focus from
themselves and their power to the One who deserved all the praise and
attention. They used the attention of the crowd to proclaim the message of
Jesus and to exalt Him.
What God gives us -- whether miraculous or
not so miraculous -- is never intended for our own glory. It is never intended
to draw the attention of the crowd toward us. It is always given so that we can
point the attention to the One who truly deserves it.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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