Acts - Week 2 / Monday

Reading for today: Acts 3:1-10

Have you ever been on your way to accomplish some task and then run into an interruption? Peter and John had just such an experience. They were on their way to the 3:00 pm prayer meeting in the Temple. They would have made it, too, if they hadn’t encountered this guy begging by the side of the walkway.

He thinks that Peter and John may have some coins on them, so he asks for some help. Peter informs the guy that they don’t have any money, but what they do have, they will give to him. At that point, the guy had no idea what they were going to give him.

Boy, was he surprised when Peter said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” And then he reached down and took the guy by the hand and lifted him to his feet. Now remember, this guy was crippled from birth. He had never walked! But all of a sudden his feet and ankles are strengthened and he jumps to his feet and begins jumping and praising God. Wouldn’t you have done the same?

The part of this story that really gets me is this: what if Peter and John had been too intent on getting where they wanted to go that day, and had blown this man off, instead of stopping? What if they had disobeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit?

I can’t help wondering what exciting happenings I might have missed because I didn’t want to get off task at the moment? Have I missed some promptings from the Holy Spirit because I didn’t want to be interrupted from what seemed so important?

My prayer is, “Lord, help me to be aware of the voice of your Holy Spirit. May I never be too busy to obey the Spirit’s nudging in my life.”

Tomorrow: Truth-telling or ear-tickling?