Faith to stand
This week's study is on Acts 14:8-10:
First, some background on the characters. Paul was a former genocidal murderer, who converted to Christianity after God encountered him directly. He had no background of miracles or supernatural activity.
The lame man had been lame from birth. He probably had people making fun of him and resenting his weakness all of those years. He most likely had found ways to work around his disability, but had never know what it is to have full function of his limbs. We don't know how old he was, but we know that 100% of his life up until that point had been lived as a cripple.
God was introducing himself to people in the region of Lystra. He wanted to demonstrate his power so that people would know he was real. So when Paul and the crippled man came together, it was a chance for God's miraculous power to shine. Paul proclaimed God's healing of the crippled man by telling him to stand. It was like when Jesus told Peter to walk on the water.
I wonder what must have gone through the man's head when he stood and was healed. Did it seem natural, or was it shocking? What must it be like to struggle with something your whole natural life and have it disappear in an instant? For that matter, did Paul even know that God would heal the man, or was it just blind faith?
God touched everyone around when he healed the man. Paul's faith was confirmed. The man was healed. And those around them saw the miraculous power of God unleashed. People don't just get better from stuff like that. Even modern surgeries take a long time, with lots of physical therapy afterwards. This was instantaneous and completely by the grace of God.
So there's a faith to stand that gets rewarded. And God wants to intervene in our lives.
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.
First, some background on the characters. Paul was a former genocidal murderer, who converted to Christianity after God encountered him directly. He had no background of miracles or supernatural activity.
The lame man had been lame from birth. He probably had people making fun of him and resenting his weakness all of those years. He most likely had found ways to work around his disability, but had never know what it is to have full function of his limbs. We don't know how old he was, but we know that 100% of his life up until that point had been lived as a cripple.
God was introducing himself to people in the region of Lystra. He wanted to demonstrate his power so that people would know he was real. So when Paul and the crippled man came together, it was a chance for God's miraculous power to shine. Paul proclaimed God's healing of the crippled man by telling him to stand. It was like when Jesus told Peter to walk on the water.
I wonder what must have gone through the man's head when he stood and was healed. Did it seem natural, or was it shocking? What must it be like to struggle with something your whole natural life and have it disappear in an instant? For that matter, did Paul even know that God would heal the man, or was it just blind faith?
God touched everyone around when he healed the man. Paul's faith was confirmed. The man was healed. And those around them saw the miraculous power of God unleashed. People don't just get better from stuff like that. Even modern surgeries take a long time, with lots of physical therapy afterwards. This was instantaneous and completely by the grace of God.
So there's a faith to stand that gets rewarded. And God wants to intervene in our lives.
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