Waiting, crippled.

Love Acts 3 when a beggar who has been lame since birth is HEALED in the name of Jesus!!! We are told in Acts 4v22 that this guy 'was over forty years old'.  I reckon in that day and age this was almost a whole lifetime as people died younger then.

Now we are told in Acts 3v2 that this lame beggar went faithfully to the temple gate every day to beg. I imagine he would pray here too, probably for healing and so on. Just think day after day, praying and praying for something that is just not happening! But praise God for this mans perseverance, patience and faithfulness!!

And then one day - probably not dissimilar to most from the outset, he was healed through the Holy Spirit working in Peter and John. Two things struck me here. 

1.  Never give up. Never stop praying. Be faithful in prayer. Be patient in prayer. But never give up. 

2.  Be available to be used by God. Just like Peter and John were like vessels for the Holy Spirit to work through them at any given moment, so too do we need to be available and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. 

I was reminded again at an alpha away day yesterday about the amazing life we can have through the Holy Spirit. It doesn't mean we need to go all weird and crazy, to preach from soapboxes, to do weird things and to stop being ourselves. We don't need to be crazy, scary Christians. That's just off putting! We just need to be available, in tune with what God is doing and ready to act if and when prompted. 

I want to live in step with the Spirit - to be joyful, have hope, see miracles, see the Spirit bringing about light, life, hope, healing, peace, joy....! Lets fill up guys :-)