(The following is the May 8 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Acts 3 and pay close attention to verses 1-10.)
Imagine the scene when God healed the lame man through Peter: “Then taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them – walking, leaping, and praising God” (vv. 7-8). What a remarkable difference in the lame man’s life, from being carried everywhere to walking, leaping, and praising God.
Jesus performed many miracles in his earthly ministry. He can also perform miracles through others, as in this instance. God never changes, so he can still do the miraculous to accomplish his purposes and glorify himself. While many miracles are physical, none is more miraculous than the new spiritual birth possible in Christ. It transforms the very nature of the sinner into a new creation. Christians experience this transformation, and our reaction should be as joyful as the healed lame man.
How does our spiritual rebirth compare to the lame man’s physical healing? The man’s foundation had been weak and unable to support him, but he had a solid foundation to stand on once healed. So it is with all who are spiritually reborn in Christ. We now have a solid foundation as we stand on Christ, the solid Rock, and the truth of his Word.
Next, the lame man went walking, leaping, and praising God. We, too, embark on a life that begins to walk the straight and narrow path of faith. We grow in our knowledge of God’s Word and our relationship with Christ in ways that sometimes resemble walking and other times leaping as we mature dramatically in some seasons, less so in others. Whether walking or leaping, we are to praise God as we go for who he is and for giving us new life.
Next Step:
Does your life as a new creation in Christ reflect the joy the lame man demonstrated after his healing? If so, how? If not, why not?
Comments