"Testimonies For His Glory"

In Acts 3:1-11 we find an encounter that ends with a crowd the people being filled with amazement because a miracle happens and a lame man ends up - walking, and leaping, and praising God! I told you what happens at the end because we are mostly going to look at the middle of this encounter and I wanted to make sure you knew we have a terrific ending!

At the beginning of our encounter we are introduced to our three main characters, Peter, John, and a certain man who was born lame. Our setting, the temple, at the hour of prayer, or the ninth hour. Also, as we all know, any good story needs a problem or a conflict, an issue to be resolved.  Most people reading this encounter might just assume that the issue in this encounter is the man's lameness? Personally,  I think its some thing else and it can be found in verses 2 - 3.

... And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

Every day. Day after day, for his whole life he was carried to the outside of the temple where he asked alms from those coming and going.   It says that he saw Peter and John about to go in, so he asked them, the same as he asked every one, not necessarily expecting, but because that is what he did, every day, all day. It was his routine and while he didn't really take much notice of them, because of this routine, it says they noticed him.

... And fixing eyes on him with John, Peter said, "Look at us."  So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.  verses 4 - 5

So, if we take a look at this key verse we get to see the issue.  He was so busy with his day to day routine. So busy with his rote "asking" that he almost missed his opportunity. It wasn't until they spoke that they got his "for real" attention. Suddenly, there was an expectation to receive!

... Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, But what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them---walking, leaping, and praising God! verses 6 - 8

So, while his lameness was the obvious  problem, it wasn't the issue that God saw and dealt with. God saw a man full of hopelessness, with no expectation to enter into His presence. So, God being the loving God that He is, provided  for the whole man. He went from being a "downtrodden" man to a --walking, leaping, and praising God testimony in an instant.

I think that too often this man's issue is one that we deal with. I think that its easy to get complacent in our day to day providing and to get in a "habit" of asking without any real sense of expectation to receive.  Too often we sit "outside" His presence, focused on the wrong things.  We get caught up and forget to give Him all our attention.  Too often we pray without believing!

The solution:  When He says, "Seek My face."  We need to look to Him and say, "Your face, Lord, I will seek." Ps.27:8   Then we too will be ---walking, leaping, and praising God testimonies for His glory!