Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Deuteronomy 10-12; Acts 3
Devotional Thought:
[While Pastor Berlin is away on vacation, Pastor Weigle is perpetuating this week’s Faith’s Focus.]
Acts chapter 3 is one of my favorite chapters. What did a day in ministry life look like for the disciples after Jesus ascended to heaven? Much like today, theirs was a mix of planned and unplanned events. At least a year and a half before this event took place Jesus called the Twelve together and paired them off to go throughout towns to preach. At that time He “gave them power and authority over all devils (rendered “unclean spirits” in Matthew’s and Mark’s account), and to cure diseases.” (Luke 9:1-2)
Here in Acts, we see a pair of these disciples together heading to the temple complex around 3:00 in the afternoon, the 9th hour, the hour of prayer. This was their normal daily routine as Jews. In the midst of the crowd this day however, routine was broken by a divine appointment.
For many this was a time to come together to perform the ritual of prayer. They were expected to. To them the hour of prayer may have only been a break from work or worse perhaps a begrudged hassle. It was lip service while their hearts were far from God. It had not been long before that many of these same people had gathered together to crucify the Son of God, completely missing what God was doing in their midst.
Peter and John, pillars of the apostles, were not too afraid to pause and minister to the lame man that was persistently begging from them. They were not too caught up in the importance of who they were or what they were doing to be redirected by the Lord to meet a need. Instead they showed love, boldness, and submission the Spirit. The result was a changed life, an opportunity to both proclaim the Gospel and glorify Jesus Christ as the Holy One, the Just, the Prince of Life, and the risen Christ.
What opportunities does God have in store for you today? Keep your eyes open and your ears attentive to the cries of needy souls around you. Be ready to love boldly as the Spirit directs you to minister in some way to someone.
“Others,” a hymn by Charles Meigs
Lord, help me live from day to day in such a self-forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray, my prayer shall be for others.
Help me, in all the work I do, to ever be sincere and true,
And know that all I do for you must needs be done for others.
Let self be crucified and slain and buried deep; and all in vain
May efforts be to rise again, unless to live for others.
Refrain:
Others, Lord – yes, others,
Let this my motto be:
“Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee.”
Personal Requests:
• Lord, help me develop and maintain the habit of prayer.
• Open my eyes to see the opportunities around me to meet the real needs of others and to proclaim your Gospel.
• Help me to remember the exhortation of Philippians 2:4 to not only look at the things I am doing, but to be aware of others.