Acts 3 - Choose Wisely

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

People were shocked at this healed beggar and even more shocked that Peter was able to heal him, but look closely. Peter did not heal the beggar, Jesus did. Peter invoked the power of Jesus to heal the beggar. Peter was a vessel for the glory of God to shine through.

We are the same. We are all children of God, given the choice to accept His Son Jesus, to choose to have the Holy Spirit move through us. There is no difference between Peter and us, for it was Jesus who healed, and Jesus is the same now as He was then. It is up to us to allow Him to move through us, or seek our own desires and ways. The choice is yours, which way do you choose?