February 26: Trusting His Provision.
HIS ENDOWMENT.
With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.--Acts 3:8
Have you ever received more than you could have imagined? We were celebrating my birthday with my family. After a nice dinner, I opened the gifts. One of the gifts was a little yellow toy car, which I really liked because I had wanted to buy a similar real car. There were envelopes attached to the bumper of the car. When I opened them, I found checks inside, amounting to a large sum that was enough to trade my used car and buy the new car I needed. I was speechless!
In Acts 3, there was a man who received much more than he could have imagined. He was handicapped since birth and had been begging for a living: "A man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple" (verse 2). Peter and John were going to the temple at the hour of prayer, and the man was asking for alms. Peter looked at him and said, "Look at us!" (verse 4). Surely, the beggar looked at them immediately, probably expecting a sizable gift, only to have his hopes shattered by Peter's opening words: "I do not possess silver and gold" (verse 6) Oh, really? "But what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" (verse 6). Wait, what? This was much more than he imagined! He could walk! And that was the first time in his life, he entered the temple, experiencing God like never before! There were nine gates that led into the inner courts, and a lame person wouldn't have gone further than the court of the Gentiles. The name of Jesus became his passport to enter the temple, "walking and leaping and praising God" (verse 8). I am amazed at how God is able to provide more than what we ask or expect. And His greatest endowment is our immediate access to the presence of God through the name of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22), no matter how emotionally and spiritually handicapped we have been all our lives.
My Response:_________________________________________________________
HIS ENDOWMENT.
With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.--Acts 3:8
Have you ever received more than you could have imagined? We were celebrating my birthday with my family. After a nice dinner, I opened the gifts. One of the gifts was a little yellow toy car, which I really liked because I had wanted to buy a similar real car. There were envelopes attached to the bumper of the car. When I opened them, I found checks inside, amounting to a large sum that was enough to trade my used car and buy the new car I needed. I was speechless!
In Acts 3, there was a man who received much more than he could have imagined. He was handicapped since birth and had been begging for a living: "A man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple" (verse 2). Peter and John were going to the temple at the hour of prayer, and the man was asking for alms. Peter looked at him and said, "Look at us!" (verse 4). Surely, the beggar looked at them immediately, probably expecting a sizable gift, only to have his hopes shattered by Peter's opening words: "I do not possess silver and gold" (verse 6) Oh, really? "But what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" (verse 6). Wait, what? This was much more than he imagined! He could walk! And that was the first time in his life, he entered the temple, experiencing God like never before! There were nine gates that led into the inner courts, and a lame person wouldn't have gone further than the court of the Gentiles. The name of Jesus became his passport to enter the temple, "walking and leaping and praising God" (verse 8). I am amazed at how God is able to provide more than what we ask or expect. And His greatest endowment is our immediate access to the presence of God through the name of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22), no matter how emotionally and spiritually handicapped we have been all our lives.
My Response:_________________________________________________________
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