Stop and help (acts3)

God has a purpose for all things Romans 8:28 tells us.

The first detail in Acts 3 given to us by the Holy Spirit regarding this beggar is that he had expectancy.He expected to recieve something from Peter and John.
We also see that he had no where to turn to but up, due to his medical condition. I love the fact that those whom he had been looking towards for help had no silver and gold. They too were poor servants of Jesus. God calls not many wealthy to the kingdom. What Peter had, he was willing to give.

Then taking him by the right hand and raising him up, immediately his ankles and feet were made strong.
This beggar was now a leaping praiser, rejoicing everywhere in the temple. The people who had witnessed this miracle were filled with wonder and amazement.

God had a purpose, a time, and place for this beggar's healing, albeit, the road getting there came with great humiliation, discouragement, and difficulty. He had even become a burden upon those who were forced to take care of him.

But let's forget about the beggar for a moment and take a look at two other points in our narrative.

Firstly, Peter and John had to take him by the hand- and then, they had to raise him up. Oh how this man was dependant upon some other person God had granted position and authority too. They had to believe God for him! Life's circumstances had crippled his ability to walk upright. They had to excersize enough faith to take him by the hand and trust that God would have done the rest... and the rest is what God had done.He was healed!

This man's restoration came three ways. He had to ask and expect. Peter and John had to be willing and believe, and God then completed the task.
In all three positions, the beggar, the believers, and the Restorer had a part in the miricle.God used a broken vessel which He had made. He used the faith of His chosen vessels, which he had given, which in turn, gave God the opportunity to display His power and glory. The best part about the miracle was that everyone who witnessed it were amazed.

We all fit today in one of two positions. Either we are sitting, being wholly dependant upon the Lord for our very sustenance, vitality and service,or, we are those who are dependantly walking realizing that that may be us sitting one day.

To refuse to sit at the temple and be helped by others is pride, but to turn our heads away from an opportunity would be equally as bad, as it would rob God, and a person and many others the opportunity to rejoice, and thus be a witness to the love and mercy of God.

We see Jesus illustrated in both ways here. As a beggar, He is in the poor, the weak, the helpless, the sick, seeing if we will stop and help. Likewise as servants, He is seeing if we will stop and help.