Thursday 15 May 2014

May 15: Acts 3:1-10

Key Verse: Acts 3:6
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Devotion:
When the apostles went out to do what Jesus had told them, they did not spend a few years building up reserves so that they could get back home if everything failed, they got up and went with what they had. What they had was not a big saving account but God’s strength and power through the Holy Spirit. That is all they needed to go out and show people that God is real. That is all they took. And they used what they had been given to the fullest extent.

If I had money I probably would spend it all on making sure that other people were ok and had what they needed, but like the apostles (not that I am worth as they) I go out with what I have and give it to others. I have God’s Word and I have the Holy Spirit and I know Christ as my Saviour. That is more than enough to share with everyone I come in contact with and so I carry on.

Peter and John did not rely on their own strength and power because they knew they were as plain and ordinary as the next person; but they also knew that God through the Holy Spirit could do anything through them. Christ had told them they were now empowered to go out and do what He had been doing and they believed Him. When our belief and faith is lacking a bit we find it hard to go forward and share things. What we need to do is to get back into God’s Word and to be reminded of all that was accomplished through faith and know that we can do the same.

We do have so much history and past events that we can look back on to see what has happened, and yet we still cling to our own strengths and wonder if we can ever achieve anything. It is not up to us but up to God who can work through us. It is not up to how much we have or how much we can do because that is just us. Allow God to work effectively through you and you will see how much He can actually do!

Points to Ponder:
Are you limiting God to your own strengths?

Are you allowing God to work with you?