Glory to God Alone!

Acts 3 Peter and John continued their daily times of going to the Temple to pray. Dr. Luke tells us plainly it was 3 pm and that this beggar was being carried to his place where he would be seen by the many coming. God has a plan and He will fulfill it, whether it be 3pm or any other time. Why did God choose to have Peter and John walk to this very gate? Why did God choose to have that beggar there rather than at any other time? Why is a question we can ask over and over but the evidence demands a verdict and in this case it demands that we see and give glory to God for the work He has done.

Peter and John were the new ambassadors for God. They were in the right place at the right time and God’s Spirit empowered them to offer healing to this man, who like the man Jesus found at the pool, was chosen by God to be healed. Both men had been lame and suffered. One suffered from birth and the other from an unknown source but both needed healing. As with the story of Jesus, only one man was chosen by God to be healed. Sometimes we wonder why one person continues to suffer and another is healed. Again it is our why questions that lead us to give God glory and nothing else.

Both went into the temple after their healing. One chose to give God glory and the other tattled to the religious leaders. Our response to the hand of God upon us reveals our heart.

Which path are you following?

Proverbs 3 Our coastal land is prone to wind and storms of all kinds. After the storm you can walk the beach and see the erosion and the faltering homes. The last hurricane here in Florida was an example. Today you can walk the beach and see the many homes that have fallen into the sea or are precariously sitting on the edge of the land. Floridians have spent millions to shore up their properties only to see the destructive forces of hurricane winds and waves take their possessions and toss them like rag dolls. Jesus told a similar story about two builders who also faced physical storms of life. One built on the rock and the other on the sand. When the storms came the house on the rock stood firm but the one on the sand fell flat. 

Jesus used that illustration to remind us of how our lives mirror the house on the rock or the house on the sand. He is asking us to choose where we put our trust. Is on the rock or on the sand? What do you rely on in times of testing? In what do you trust? Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”

Trust means that you wholeheartedly believe and look to God for how to build your life. 

Being steadfast

Ps 16-17 Constantly

The psalmist writes that he will “constantly trust in the Lord; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” [Ps 16:8] This is a powerful reminder  of what we can say as well as believers. Have you ever thought about how close God is to you? He is just a prayer away. He knows who you are, what you are facing and what He wants to do with you and for you, but first you must recognize that He will be with you through thick and thin. No matter what you face He will be at your right hand. 

David described giving God first place in his life as having placed God at his right hand, the place of greatest honor and authority in the ancient East.” As a believer that is where we want God; at our right hand.

The word constantly has the idea of something that is continuous without interruption. God has been constant from eternity past and will be in eternity future. He is steadfast and that allows us to know that we cannot be shaken. 

Is this the God you serve? Can you say He is at your right hand? Share with us your experiences of your life where you have noted God’s position by your side. 

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