Today in our country many people are experiencing unemployment and others just hard financial times. Even the government is in serious financial shape. The financial problems that I have seen over the last 35 years have sometimes led to other problems. I have seen many marriages fail, some suicides and mental depression resulting from experiencing hard financial times. It was just announced this morning that one of our major employers, in our town, locked their doors last night.
Let's now look in the New Testament about a man who was having hard financial times. Please turn to Acts chapter 3. We see a man that was lame from birth. In his condition he could not work. He had no means at all to provide anything for himself. His only alternative was to beg for alms at the gate of the temple called Beautiful. He even had to depend on people to carry and lay him there each day. As the people would go in the gates each day, he would beg for alms.
Now let's get closer to this. How do you think this man feels? He had to depend on everyone just to survive. How many times do you think people just walked by not even looking at him? Could this man handle rejection? Did he ever have a hope that someday he could walk through the temple gates by himself? Do you think the people got so used to him sitting there each day that they began to just overlook him?
This man had no hope. He had no long term financial goals or retirement goals. His dreams were just to get through the next day. Is it possible to live like this? Some people across this world are living like this every day. I try to feel the thoughts this man was having. I cannot come close, but thanking God for my daily food has more meaning now. I am very grateful for everything large or small that I receive from Him.
The lame man sees Peter and John about to go into the temple. His head looking down with shame he asked them for alms as he had done, to the people entering, hundreds of times. This wonderful time it was different! Peter and John fixed their eyes on him and said, "Look at us". So it says he gave them his attention. This man never dreamed of what was about to take place. (Are you excited for him?)
Peter, a man of God, tells him "Silver and Gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you." Now, place yourselves in this man's situation. Money was always on his mind and he depended on it for survival. These men even stopped to talk to him. Don't you know he expected that they were going to give him more money than the others, since they took the time to stop and talk to him.
The next words out of Peter's mouth would change this man's life forever. "...but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." (NKJV) In vs. 8 it says that he stood up and walked into the temple with them. Can you imagine how he felt? He never dreamed that he would ever be able to walk into the temple. I am sure his family rejoiced with him and also the people that had to carry him to the gate of the temple each day. We would be, too.
He was walking , leaping and praising God. He knew by what authority he was healed. Do you think for one minute he questioned who Jesus was? In vs.16 it tells us it was in His name and and faith in His name that made this man strong. The material blessings from God, silver and gold, did not make this man walk. The spiritual blessings in Christ did.
I and many of you today have or are now focusing on material things to give us peace. Can we hear those same words from Peter? "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk" That walk to us should not be the kind on two legs but the spiritual kind that faith lifts us up to rejoice, leaping with praise, being able to walk the christian walk. Walking in the Light from God, giving us the spiritual strength to carry on and that wonderful hope of Heaven someday, gives us the spiritual legs to walk with God through any crisis we might have in this life.
We do live in troublesome times. These are times that call for clean hearts before God to pray "two-knee" prayers. You know, the kind that involves us down on two knees before God surrendering our total self to Him and seeking His guidance and protection through fervent praying.
We will see our country walking again when we see this kind of praying by everyone that calls themselves Christians.
Debbie and I usually have our devotional and prayer every night between 9:30 and 10:00. Christians, please pray with us tonight that our country will walk again. Not by Gold and Silver but by the authority of Jesus of Nazareth.
Please encourage someone today and also if you have any comments send them to: rhepler52@gmail.com
Thank you for reading and your comments.
Rick Hepler
