I am about a week behind, but still reading through the Bible in a year. I am going to be honest with you; I am not going to read Revelations. Studied it, read it before, giving myself a break at the end of the year.
At the moment I am in Acts and the beginning of the Christian Church. As I read the first part of Acts the other day, I was really hit by a story of a man that had been lame for 40 years. I stopped and thought about this man and what life must have been like for him.
As Peter and John approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. Acts 3:2,3
If you have dealt with a nagging illness, you can relate (in part) to this man. He was lame from birth, so while other kids ran around, he was probably already begging for money and leading a lonely life. We can only imagine the frustration, anger, and sadness that must have run through this man who had no hope of being anything more than what he was.
The man asked Peter and John for for some money. Peter said, "I don't have silver or gold, but I will give you what I have. In the name of Jesus, get up and walk." Then Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up. As he did this, the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed. The man stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. Acts 3:4-8
Wow! He started walking after a life of being crippled! When I read that passage, I get a big smile on my face because I can just imagine the indescribable joy he must have felt at that moment. I wonder how many of us have had a "no words to describe it" moment in our life where the joy is beyond anything earthly. I have, and it is always centered around something amazing that God has done in my life. Those feelings are not man-made.
All of the people saw the man walking and praising God. When they realized that he was the lame beggar, they were astounded!
This entire event was the preface to Peter and John addressing the people at the Temple and the Jewish Council. The scripture says that many people heard their message and believed, and that the numbers increased to 5,000.
Just think, this lame beggar had no hope, no faith, and no purpose but to beg for survival. Forty years is a long time to be in this kind of condition. Sometimes we wonder why we have to endure such heartache, trials, and tribulations. Where is God, and what is my purpose? We may not like God's timing, but this story confirms that God's timing is perfect. That man, that very day, at the perfect moment, encountered God. He accepted the gift of healing, he praised God, and he gave a testimony. Other lives were forever changed because of him. The church grew, and he had a place in history. Not a footnote, but an entire passage about how his willingness to be God's tool became one of many ways that the message of Jesus was spread.
It is comforting to know that God can use broken people for a great purpose. If you are broken because of trials in your life, hang on and let God guide you to a place of rest and peace. He can do all of the work, you just need to obey and be the instrument. I can honestly say that being an instrument for God in the midst of cancer has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Sandy
