Good morning! Before the COVID-19 pandemic you could get an appointment for almost anything. You could get appointments to get your hair styled, dental cleanings, routine medical exams, tires changed, etc. Sometime during those appointments you may have encountered divine appointments. Today we will read about Peter and John’s divine appointment. Join me as we begin our reading in Acts chapter 3.
“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame 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. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they 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. – Acts 3:1-10 NLT
In the verses above, we have three main characters, also the people who carried the man to the gate every day and the witnesses who saw the man healed.
The encounter – Peter, John and the lame man. Many times God sends us on a journey to accomplish our purposes. On those journeys we often encounter things that make us stop in our tracks and they get our full attention. Many times those moments are defined as divine appointments – meetings that are unmistakably ordered by God. Peter and John could have simply walked by and said, we don’t have any money, and continued on their way to continue kingdom work. But what we see here is an opportunity. I believe Peter and John were prompted by the Holy Spirit to stop, take notice and use that opportunity to heal the lame man.
I wonder how many times the lame man:
- cried out to the Lord to be healed
- woke-up in the morning depressed
- struggled with the need to get up, be carried to a place he didn’t want to go and set in a place (at a gate called beautiful) where he had to beg until someone came back to pick him up and take him back home to lay down again. He probably thought, what is beautiful about this…
But the lame man had to respond too. He could have ignored Peter and John, but he allowed them to help him stand up and through the power of Jesus Christ the lame man stood up and walked.
Sisters and brothers, we don’t know all the stories of people we encounter in the course of the day, but God does. Just like Peter and John, we are also given the eyes and ears to notice those who are in need of a touch from God. As believers we may not have money or things to give, but we have been given power through Jesus Christ to pray for those who are ill, lame, depressed, lacking and in need.
When a divine appointment comes your way, don’t ignore it. Stop and hear from the Holy Spirit and pray for those who are in need and watch God do the work. Peter and John didn’t have the power to heal, but the power they had been given through Jesus Christ is what healed the lame man.
Sisters and brothers, stay attuned to the Holy Spirit and how it prompts you to take notice of divine appointments, then allow God to use you as He sees fit (e.g., prayer, healing touch, listening ear, discernment, compassion, etc.). He wants to work through you, for the benefit of someone else, for those who know the person and those who witness the change.
Are you ready for God to fill your calendar with divine appointments? _______ If so, keep praying so that you can hear God’s voice and recognize moments when the Holy Spirit is leading.
Father God, we thank you for divine appointments. We thank you for giving us an opportunity to hear from you and be directed by the Holy Spirit. Forgive us for the times when we ignored your leading and prompting. Forgive us for being too busy to stop when you asked us to be your vessel for someone in need of healing or a touch from you. Lord, we want to be used by you. We want to be your hands, feet, ears and eyes. Lord, use us. Continue to write your words on our hearts so that we remain focused on our purpose here on this earth. Lord, equip us for our next appointment. In Jesus name, amen.
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