Stop begging from this world!

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Once upon a time...I had free time.  Life with two children was easy and I could actually choose what I was going to do next.  Now with four kids under the age of six life is sometimes a roller coaster ride of racing to prevent the next major disaster from crashing the house down around my weary shoulders.  Those leisurely times for in depth study of the Word seemed like a thing of the past...until...my children decided to change the definition of "the crack of dawn" from sunrise to about 3 or 4 a.m.


My first response was, of course, frustration. After attending to the needs of three out of the four I was wide awake and desperately craving, begging for my much needed sleep.  As I blearily watched my two month old coo and smile at me I thought, "What if this is Jesus calling?" I'm always crying out for His help, desiring to spend time with Him, "Why not now?"  So here I am, meeting "the crack of dawn" with a smile instead of a grimace, because I asked God for help, expecting to receive something good...like more sleep...and I received something so much better!

Today I joined in with www.womenlivingwell.org in their study in the book of Acts.  Since there is no way that I would trust myself to write in my precious Bible with one eye open I printed out the chapters from www.biblegateway.com and then used a template from www.printablepaper.net to print lined paper on the back side of the chapters.  With my first grader's stash of colored pencils I was all set, and this is what the Lord showed me today in Acts chapter 3...

The blind man was sitting by the gate begging daily, "expecting to receive something" from the world around him.  On this particular day, he cried out to Peter and John and was commanded to stop begging from this world and to "look on them".  He had expected to receive "something" but what he received was far better than what he expected!  His life was touched by Jesus and he was never the same again!

In v.7 we see his physical need taken care of as his feet and ankle bones are strengthened. Then in v. 8 and 16 we see that his spiritual need was also met.  And as a public testimony of the effect that Jesus had on his life he "just had to praise Him"!  His changed life was obvious. Do others marvel at the change in you since you met Jesus?

When the crowds turned to wonder at Peter and John Peter takes advantage of the moment to point them to Christ.  First he gives it to them straight - you delivered Him to Pilate, you denied Him, you desired His death, and then you killed Him.  These are not words of one trying to win the favor of this world.  But Peter doesn't stop there. He acknowledges that they may have acted through ignorance in the past, but he informs them that the prophecies that they have been waiting for have been fulfilled - the promise to Abraham has been fulfilled - in Jesus Christ!  Stop begging from this world!  Repent and be converted from unbelief to belief, because only in Jesus will you find perfect healing through faith in His name.

Hallelujah!  What a way to start the day.  When I call on Jesus, all things are possible!