Faith in God's Plan

This week I read a story in Acts 3 about a man, lame from his birth, who was healed by Peter and John.  Jesus and His apostles preformed many miracles throughout the New Testament, and it is easy to overlook this one.  But I learned in class that there are some valuable principles if you take the time to look just a little deeper, and make "history," "ourstory." ....get it?  :)

This lame man laid at the gate of the temple every day since the time he was born, asking alms of them that entered into the temple.  One day Peter and John crossed his path and he most likely asked them for money or food.  But Peter replied: "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (3:6).  The man received strength and leaped up and went with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.  Eventually 5,000 people who witnessed this believed on the words of Peter and John.  

This man laid daily at the temple doors, a temple that Jesus Christ went to.  He most likely saw Jesus dozens of times as He passed by and entered the temple.  Jesus saw this man, unable to walk, begging to survive.  But Jesus didn't heal him.  

Perhaps we can liken the lame man unto us.  If I was the lame man I might have felt like Jesus or my Heavenly Father had forsaken me.  Jesus healed so many, so why not me?  It is easy to think this way when we go through trials in our lives.  Perhaps we are doing all we can to be a disciple of Christ and yet we still don't feel any sort of relief or help from God.  No, Jesus did not help the poor, crippled man at the entrance of the temple during His lifetime.  But when he was finally healed at 40 years old by Peter and John, the miracle converted 5,000 people.  

This story showed me that I must have faith in the Lord, and that means trusting in His timing as well.  The crippled man wanted food and money from Peter and John.  But what he got was the ability to walk, and also a testimony of the Lord.  What I may think I want right now could be so minuscule compared for what the Lord has planned for me.  And when that is realized, I will follow the lame man's example by "walking, and leaping, and praising God."