Here is what God is saying to me through this chapter: I was struck by verses 3-6 this morning. The man crippled from birth saw Peter and John and asked them for money. Obviously the man needed money in order to eat and survive. But what struck me is that although he was asking for something important, it was far less significant than what Peter and John were willing to give him. The crippled man wanted money but God wanted to heal him. Perhaps the man had given up hope in something as extraordinary as healing and instead sought the lesser gift of money. It seemed that hopelessness caused him to settle for less than God’s best for him.
Here is what I will do today because of what God is saying to me: I can be like the crippled man in so many ways. So often I become impatient and then hopelessness follows close on the heels of my impatience. God is challenging me today to pray for the plan A (healing) and not just the plan B (money), to pray for the surgery (healing) and not just the band-aid (money). Today I will try my best to pray not just for the surface needs in my life or in the lives of those I love and lead; instead I will pray for the deeper, bigger, more significant needs that only God can meet. Today I’m not going to ask for something less than what God wants to do in me, through me, and perhaps even for me.
2 comments:
Because God's thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and our ways,its sometimes hard to believe that God can do things in our lives that will bless us. When I think of how God healed me from cancer and how he still has plans to use me today for his honor and glory, Its more than I can imagine.To think that he would work in my life in such a way sometimes I just don't feel worthy of that, yet I know what it feels like to come through the other side of a serious illness and praise God for bringing me through it. God is awesome! God is a loving God and he still cares for those who are hurting today as he did with me and with the Lame man long ago. Although Sometimes our healing is spiritual and not physical yet God is in the midst of it all. Today I want to continue to do the work he calls me to do until someday he calls me home. What a time of rejoicing that will be!
Like so many, before starting my walk with Christ, I thought only if I made or had more money, all my problems would be solved. Money would heal whatever hurts and struggles I had.
I now realize, money will change nothing. I was flat broke and God provided what I needed. That is when I met Anita.
If I want to change anything, there's nothing I can do. I can't change. The only way I'll ever change is if God changes me. I will continue to pray that God continues to make the changes both He and I realize are necessary in my life. God has already changed me in so many healing ways!
I am tremendously thankful for His Word and the people in SWC, especially those in Celebrate Recovery, for guiding me to determine what prayers are necessary to have God change me!
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