Sing a new song to the Lord!
….Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
….Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Psalm 96:1-2 NLT
Acts 3: 1-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
There once was a very wealthy man who was near death. He was grieved because he had worked hard for his wealth and wanted to take it with him to heaven. So, he began to pray that he might be able to take some of it with him.
An angel appeared to him and said, “Sorry, but you can’t take your wealth with you.”
He implores the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules and continued to pray earnestly that his wealth could follow him.
The angel returns and informs the man that God will allow him to bring one suitcase with him. Overjoyed, he gathers his largest suitcase and filled it with pure gold bars, and placed it beside his bed.
Soon afterward he died and showed up at the Gates of Heaven. Seeing the suitcase St. Peter said, “Hold on, you can’t bring that in here!”
But the man explained that he has permission and asks St. Peter to verify his story with God. Sure enough, St. Peter comes back saying, “You’re right. You’re allowed one carry-on, but I’m supposed to check its contents before letting it through.”
St. Peter opens the suitcase to inspect what the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaims, “I don’t believe it! You brought pavement?!”
What better way to start our week than with a good laugh!
We may laugh but how often are we shortsighted when it comes to the things of God? God states in Isaiah 55:8,
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways.” NKJV
A case in point is the man lame from birth in today’s passage. He had done nothing wrong and was doing what he always did. Friends would deposit him by the gate, called Beautiful – not a gate into the city of Jerusalem but a gate into the Temple. It was really a perfect spot for someone of his “occupation” in that, as my Life Application Study Bible says, “It was a favored entrance, and many people passed through it on their way to worship.” and helping beggars was considered praiseworthy among the Jews.
So, when he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. v3 But the kicker is, he had no idea to whom he was talking!
When Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. v4-5
That they had no money was inconsequential for they gave him far more than what he asked!
How many times throughout his life had he wondered what it would be like to walk…to run…to skip…to jump! At this point, he had surely realized that those were just pipe dreams. He had never walked and never would. But…GOD!
He requested something very mundane, but God gave him something supernaturally miraculous! What he thought was helpful, God overran with a life-changing touch!
Lord Jesus, enable us to not be content with asking for the mundane. That may be where we live but may there always be hope for something supernaturally miraculous! May we not be satisfied with gold, for to You it’s just pavement! Amen!
Jan 16th, 2022, Sun, 6:27 pm
