"WONDER and AMAZEMENT!"

Acts 3:1-10                    (ESV)

"1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

2 And a man LAME FROM BIRTH was being carried, whom they laid DAILY at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.

3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.

4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us."

5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"

7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and IMMEDIATELY his feet and ankles were MADE STRONG.

8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising GOD.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising GOD,

10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with "WONDER and AMAZEMENT" at what had happened to him."

There is little description of the lame man who is written about in Acts 3.  It is written he was lame from birth and was laid DAILY at the gate of the temple to ask people to donate to him because of his condition.  He was totally dependent upon others assisting him to survive.  It is interesting to me that someone in need would go to the Temple looking for assistance?

Peter and John saw this man begging for money.  Peter and John weren't flush with cash and couldn't help this man with a great monetary blessing.  But they could offer him something he had never experienced, nor thought he ever would experience!   In verse six, Peter says "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"  There was "WONDER and AMAZEMENT" when the formerly lame from birth man immediately began "walking and leaping and praising GOD".  

The formerly lame man had always asked for donations from people, thinking that was all he could do.  But GOD had other plans for his life and Peter and John was used to fulfill those plans.  The man didn't wake up on this day thinking his life was about to be changed!  Peter and John didn't know when they awoke that they would be used of GOD to heal a man.  Regardless, when Peter and John saw the lame man laying at the gate ON THIS DAY they offered him healing in the name of JESUS CHRIST of NAZARETH!  

And what did this lame man have to do to receive this healing?  Did he have to pray a prayer or follow commands?  No, he just had to get up and walk!   He had never walked before.  Yet he didn't need a physical therapist or lengthy instructions on how to walk.  The Bible says ALL THE PEOPLE saw him walking and praising GOD!  He wasn't praising Peter and John.  He was praising GOD, the ONE who healed him.  And they were ALL filled with "WONDER and AMAZEMENT" at what happened to him is not so astonishing when we consider WHO healed this man. If we would allow HIM today, we too would be filled with "WONDER and AMAZEMENT"!