Acts 14:8-10 - While they were at Lystra, they came upon a man with crippled feet who had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was listening as Paul preached, and Paul noticed him and realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him, “Stand up!” and the man leaped to his feet and started walking.
Paul and Barnabus had become what we now call evangelists…their preaching full of power ….so intense that many people from many nations believed. They used every opportunity that God gave them to glorify the father…healing and giving God the glory …and allowing the miracle to seal the onlookers belief.
I think it is curious that the scripture points out that Paul noticed the man’s faith…and that was the catalyst that allowed his healing. We had the same discussion in my Sunday School class yesterday….how faith was present before God works his miracles in our lives. Hebrews 11:1 defines it this way…. What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. If you read the whole chapter you are given a huge list of Bible greats that possessed the same faith this man had in Acts 14.
I wanted to remind myself how to keep my faith ever deepening…so I researched a bit and found these simple points. Great faith is only possible with an ever deepening relationship with God. Hebrews 11:6 says… But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Great faith is full of humility that seeks God’s will. James 4:6 says simply…. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Great faith also trusts completely…Mark 12:30 says…. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
I am so glad that God reminded me this morning of my need to always work on increasing my faith. Faith will give my past purpose…my present courage and feet and my future hope. Faith will support me in all that God asks me to do. Faith will give me what I need…even when I can’t see what it is. I admit that I don’t have enough faith to move that proverbial mountain yet. My microscopic portion needs some serious work in order to grow and multiply into the size of even that mustard seed.
Father…thank you for the reminder that faith is a critical component of a healthy relationship with you. Faith shows that I believe and trust in your promises. Forgive me for settling for a small amount of faith…when I could have more if I ask. Help me to deepen my relationship with you so you can deepen the faith I have …allowing me to move every mountain that gets in my way quickly out of the way. Amen.
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