I know this is sort of a funny title but it fits perfectly what the Lord showed me today. As believers, it is very important to understand how our Lord operates and what our part is in our walk with the Him.  This is not something you can just know.  You must seek God to reveal to you what your part is in every situation.  That is why when I pray by myself or with another, I almost always ask God to bring wisdom.   God showed me something today in the account of Peter and the healing of the crippled man at the gate called Beautiful.  I want to go there briefly because the way the scriptures are written are so important to what the Lord revealed.

Acts 3:1-8 says:

     “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.”

Here we see that Peter and John were going about their normal routine visiting the temple for prayer.  For the crippled man, it was also an ordinary day.  It says that “daily” the lame man was carried to the same place to beg as a means to support himself.  I point this out to say that miracles happen as we go forward in what God has showed us to do.  Neither Peter, John or the lame man knew what was about to take place in that moment.  The miracle begins to unfold when the lame man “saw” Peter and John.  He had eyes to see because he was looking for an opportunity to have what he needed.  Then we see Peter looked straight at him.  He focused his full attention on him…in the Greek it says he looked at the lame man intently.  Intently means fixed with attention in order to do something.  What comes next is interesting.  Peter says to the man “look on us.”  If the man was already looking at them then why would Peter have made this statement?  The Greek word here is a word that means to gaze with wide-open eyes.  Peter was saying look at us and see with eyes of faith.   Look at us because we have what you really need.  The scriptures show us that there are two sets of eyes.  We can see in the natural with natural reasoning or we can see with the eyes of faith—  Expectant to get something beyond what is possible.  In the moment, Peter and John said, “look on us” the ability to see with faith came.  It wasn’t a question but a command!  As the man obeyed God through the words of Peter, it made room for God to work a miracle in his life.  The next verse tells us that the man gave his full attention to Peter and John with expectancy.  He expected a result.  Now this man did not know he was going to be healed. He just knew that whatever was going to come next would be good.  As we follow the Lord’s leading in our hearts, we do not always know what is going to come next but we know that it is going to be good.  It is important to point out that Peter did not ask the man to do something he could not do.  The man was lame but he had use of his eyes.  Our Lord is going to use what you have in your hand and in your current ability to bring His miracle working power into your life.

The next part of the story reveals our Lord and His goodness.  As soon as the lame man obeyed, our Lord spoke through Peter “walk.”  The ability to walk came in the command.  The man already had faith and expectancy and now God gave him the power.  That is not all!  It says that the disciples took him by the hand and helped him up.  Praise God!!  Our walk with God is a cohesive effort with our Lord.  We obey and He does the work in our lives. The results for this man were glorious.  He walked!  Not only that but he had seen God through these disciples and the scriptures go on to tell us that he clung to them.  His whole life changed!  Not only was he healed but his entire life was transformed with the ability to do things that were previously impossible to him.

Today take the time to seek the Holy Spirit with expectancy about what He is asking you to do.  Obey His leading and know that He will take you by the hand and lead you into the miracle working power He has for your life— “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13) As always, I am most thankful for all of you.  William and I love you and pray you are living in the fullness of God’s love for your lives.  He is a good God!