In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, Stand up on your feet! At that, the man jumped up and began to walk (Acts 14:8-10).
So Paul and Barnabas come to Lystra in this missionary journey. They really had no plan in mind, they were just going to preach the gospel and see who came to know Jesus as their saviour. Then, they encounter this lame man. Paul stares at him and commands him to stand. The man immediately “jumped up”! WOW not just stand, but jump. He immediately obeyed the command that came from Paul.
Both showed a lot of faith. The lame man believed and stood. Paul knew – somehow (probably through the Holy Spirit) – that this man was meant to be healed through his ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you, but many times I can just go through the motions in ministry. I forget that it’s not me that changes people’s lives and situations. It’s God’s power at work in us and in those we minister to.
I remember in college doing some evangelism in an arcade. You know back in the 70’s when we had pinball machines. We were using a gospel tract and got one of the guys playing to stop and go through the tract with us. And he prayed a prayer of faith right there in the arcade and then asked us if he could have the tract. We said yes of course. He immediately took it and went to a friend of his and told him, “You’ve got to read this, it will change your life!” That totally blew me away. I was so surprised. But why? If that was a genuine experience wouldn’t you want to share with your friends. Please, God, help us not to go through the motions, but be obedient to your call on our lives to be change agents in this world for you.
Father, like the apostles, help me to trust in a living God who is changing people’s hearts and delivering their minds from the grip and power of the evil one. Help me to rejoice as I, too, see the power of obedience to the Word of God in my own life.
Sixty-six books in a year 