Wednesday, May 10, 2006
May 11 Acts 14
Go ahead and look first at Acts 14 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Acts 14:8-10
In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
Title: Courage to Believe God
Observation: Paul was speaking and God inspired him to tell the crippled man to stand up and walk. Its amazing! What if he couldn’t walk after that. What if he fell. What if Paul had gotten God wrong.
I am amazed by Paul’s courage. When the Holy Spirit gave him prompting to say the impossible, he did not shy away but spoke the miraculous word. And the man was healed.
Healing takes faith. Faith to believe that God will do a miracle, that God will give a messenger the word, and for the person who God is working with. We have to cooperate with God for him to do the things he wants in our lives.
It may be that God never prompts me to heal someone. But it may be that God wants me to speak to someone in line at the store, to talk with a homeless person, to go to a powerful, wealthy person and unapologetically speak about their need for Christ.
Application: I need to believe that God does miracles, God prompts me to speak, and follow through. I need to know Jesus well enough to know when the Spirit is thinking and then be unafraid to announce what God’s blessing is.
Prayer: Lord God, help me to see your working and believe you for great things. Lord help me to walk by faith and not sight. Allow me to be willing to look foolish as I cling to you. Help me not to want to win credibility with anyone but you
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
