The Acts Get Up!

Peter and Paul both healed a crippled man in Acts. I heard Peter's performance of healing while driving in the car. I just happened to flip to my audio Bible in my 5 CD changer and listened as Peter pulled a crippled man to his feet.

That same night when I was reading my one year Bible before bed, I read about Paul's performance of healing. Paul yelled across a crowd of people for the crippled man to stand up, and he did.

Read both accounts quickly and see if you can notice the difference.

First

"When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he [the crippled man] asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, 'Look here.' He looked up, expecting to get something from them. Peter said, 'I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!' He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked. (Acts 3.5-8 The Message).

Second

"There was a man in Lystra who couldn't walk. He sat there, crippled since the day of his birth. He heard Paul talking, and Paul, looking him in the eye, saw that he was ripe for God's work, ready to believe. So he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Up on your feet!" The man was up in a flash—jumped up and walked around as if he'd been walking all his life" (Acts 14.8-10 The Message).

The day that I happened to read these two healings, I was struggling. I was smack in the middle of a "crippling" season, and I wanted to claim defeat. Several so-called negative things happened in my life, and I wanted to crawl in a hole and disappear. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to get out!

After I read the second healing, God asked me a simple question: "Which one are you?"

During the tough times, was I going to be the man who was looking for a hand-out and had to be yanked up out of his crippleness? Or was I going to be the man "ripe for God's work" and by faithful determination jumped out of his crippleness?

God accomplishes His will either way. He can either pull us up when we've been knocked down or we can jump up claiming God's promised victory (Psalm 118.15)

I have made a vow to God. I want to be the second man. When I mess up or when bad things happen, I want to jump up and keep running the race. I trust that God uses all things (good and bad) to accomplish His perfect plan (Romans 8.28)

Are you in a crippling season right now? Will you claim God's victory with me and get up?