Silver and Gold (Acts 3:2-8)

 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.

Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.

And Peter directed his gaze at him as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 

And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you.  In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God…. (Acts 3:2-8)

Obviously, the lame man was happy to see the apostles coming at him because he saw them as humans able to give him money.  But God had other plans for that man, and he made sure to let his servants know of them.  Life is not always that obvious, we don’t just have immediate needs and expect God to meet those needs and will he…?   Not necessarily, but practically God likes to sweep us off our feet (pun intended) and give us long term recovery.

Is that not what he did to the lame?  How many of you are lame in life and press God to meet your immediate needs which are all temporary but fail to ask him to meet your long-term needs or goals.  God knows already what your long-term needs will be.  It required simple faith on the lame man’s part to reach out and suddenly he became a candidate for employment.  He was no longer considerate a sinner in the temple.  He was whole because through Peter and John Jesus had made him whole.  He was free at last and that is why he could praise God.  You can too!