Corona Devo 835

While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting (9) and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. (10) So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.  ~Acts 14:8-10

 

What do others see when they look straight at us and our lives?  Do they realize we have faith?  (Do we have faith?)

What does God see when He looks straight at us?  Does He (Can He) realize we have faith?

Have we ever looked straight at someone and been able to realize that he/she had faith?

Good (and Godly) friends of ours recently shared with us some strong testimonies of life change that they had been blessed to experience because they had answered God's call into the ministry of women in recovery from addiction.  They said that they were able to tell the very day that one of their "residents" had accepted Jesus into their heart, because they could see it in the woman's eyes.  They maintained that life became visible in the eyes of the women who had asked Jesus into their hearts-- where only death had been visible before.  And so (literally) in looking straight at a newly-saved woman, they could realize she had faith.  

~~~

Looking straight at us, what can people realize?

~~~

Without (any) mobility or freedom to walk, the crippled man could have been (left) anywhere, but somehow and someway, he had purposed and achieved to be sitting (9) and listening as Paul preached (Acts 14:8-9).

Being there did not “just happen” for him.  But his limitations and challenges did not stop him from getting-in-front-of hearing God’s word being preached.

What stops us from placing ourselves in-front-of God’s teaching?  I dare say most of us are not crippled in both feet, but the sins and sorrows (and distractions) of this world can sometimes make us feel as such.

Sometimes, we have to drag ourselves to Jesus, but He’s waiting with open arms the moment we arrive, and He sees right into us, just as Paul looked straight at the man with crippled feet and realized he had faith to be healed (Acts 14:9).

God looks straight into the "eyes" of our soul too.  Are we living in distracted-attention to him?  Is our focus on Christ superficial or sincere?

Can the Lord look straight at us and our lives, and "realize we have faith"?

I feel His gaze on me through these verses, but Whoa! I have to break the Master's stare because of my sin/my short-coming/because of my self.

But he holds His unconditional and steadfast gaze on us and lovingly tips our chins upward until our eyes meet His once again: For God so loved us that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Are we perfect in faith?  No.  But do we believe in God, His Son and the Holy Spirit?  Do we sincerely seek their healing power over the broken and crippled areas of our lives, hearts, and minds?

Are we willing (and currently) sitting and listening as (His Word) is preached? 

Then may we feel God looking straight at us today.  In His mercy and grace, may God realize we have faith to be healed, and may we hear Him calling to us through the words of the Bible to “Stand up!” And may we jump to our proverbial feet and start walking toward Him today and for Him today.(Acts 14:8-10)

It doesn't matter how long we have been struggling with something (a critical spirit/addiction/eating disorder/self-focus/ongoing sin), and even if we feel we have "been this way" since birth (Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked.)...

We serve a God of healing, over every kind of crippledness that we might suffer from.  As He looks straight into our eyes today, may He see our faith looking back at Him.

Stand up today.  Meet God's gaze and listen to His commands today. Let's jump to our feet and start walking with God and for Him today. 

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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