Miracles

Our pastor has been doing a series on Acts. Last week he covered the healing of the crippled man in chapter 3. Of course he made his own points about the text, but in going over my notes, a couple of things jumped out at me.

First, in order to be used of God in any type of miracle situation, we need to be at the right place at the right time. Acts 2:46 says the disciples "continu[ed] daily with one accord in the temple," and when chapter 3 begins, we find Peter and John again in this stomping ground. Had they slept in or allowed themselves to be diverted from their aim of fellowship with the Lord and other believers, they wouldn't have been where they needed to be when called upon to act.

Secondly, miracles require us to pay attention. When the beggar asked the disciples for money, Peter insisted he look at them. The next verse says the cripple "gave them his attention, expecting to receive something..." (3:5). Had he ignored their request, he might have missed out.

Also, miracles may come in a different form than we expect. Our pastor pointed out that the needy man asked for alms, but received healing instead: "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.'" (v. 6) Rather than a one-time handout, he received the lifelong gift of being able to provide for his own needs. We need to remember this when answers to prayer arrive in different packaging than we had requested. Our heavenly Father is thinking of our overall well-being, not just meeting our immediate needs.

Finally, miracles sometimes include throwing caution to the wind. Peter and John may have wondered if they possessed the healing gene that day. What if they commanded the guy to walk and he sat there like a stone? They were in prayer mode and stepped out in faith. Some situations call for a ready response, and there is no time to ponder and consider. In my own walk, I'm learning to let go when this happens, as opposed to my natural inclination to prayerfully deliberate for a day or two (or 25). I firmly believe time can be a definitive factor when following God's leading, but we must be willing to act impulsively when necessary.

I offer these thoughts with appreciation to Pastor Jerry Iamurri, whose sermon last Sunday inspired them.