(from an earlier SOAP.)
SCRIPTURE: Acts (NIV) 3:1 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 crippled 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 have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
OBSERVATION: Peter and John were not out looking to heal someone, or to have a large gathering where they could preach about Jesus and call people to faith in Christ. But that is what happened. It started as they were moving through a normal day. Nothing big was planned. They were just doing what was common for them to do. It was nothing out of the ordinary. They were just being faithful in doing something ordinary. But their ordinary day was interrupted by an ordinary beggar with an ordinary request. Then the Holy Spirit turned their ordinary day into an extra-ordinary day! Now we can read the rest of the story in Acts 3.
APPLICATION: The Holy Spirit specializes in taking the ordinary things I faithfully do and using them to bring glory to Jesus! I may not know how my faithfulness in doing the little things might affect someone who is watching. It may be just a smile, or a gentle touch, or a short prayer, (baking a cake, fixing a leaky roof, writing a letter, making a phone call, etc.) but the Holy Spirit can do something big in someone’s life with something small from me. Whatever it is you do, do it in the name of Jesus! Give Him glory! Many of the big things God does, starts with a believer doing a small thing!
PRAYER: Jesus, knowing that you are watching my life makes me want to be faithful. May my life please you and bring you joy. And knowing that there may be someone watching close by — someone who may need encouragement, or a kind word — this also makes me want to be faithful. Amen
Pastor Leon
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