Read Acts 3:1-10, 4:8-20
Technology is a wonderful thing! With the click of a mouse or the push of a few buttons, we can watch movies instantly on our computers and access the internet on our phones. We can post status updates and check on our friends across the street or around the world. In this age of YouTube, Twitter, iPhones, and Skype, communication is something that we’ve come to expect… something that we take for granted. While God is able to speak and make His message clear in any format, I think he still likes to communicate the “old-fashioned” way. He chooses to speak through people, whether we feel they are qualified or not.
In our passage today, God uses three unlikely people to rock an entire community! First, Peter and John were going about their normal routine of visiting the temple for afternoon prayers. Their path led them to a brief encounter with a dirty, crippled beggar. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the crippled man was healed, and suddenly, everyone wanted to listen to his story! God used the beggar to show His power and speak to the people in the community.
Then, in response to the commotion and the miracle that occurred, the Sanhedrin (council of church leaders) took note of Peter and John – untrained, uneducated men in their eyes. Even they could see that they had been with Jesus. (vs. 4:13-14) There was no way to deny it!
Spending time with Jesus will result in life changes that others will be able to see. It will give you a story that has to be told. Will you allow yourself to be changed as you spend time with Jesus this week? Will you allow yourself to be the messenger of good news? Maybe your act of service will be a step in someone choosing Christ as their Savior. Maybe you have a kind word or deed that someone may need to hear today. You may not be perfect, but God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things!
Day 4 of 7 from the 2010 Mission Discovery Devotional
