Discerning Faith

July 10

(Acts 14:8-10 NIV)  “In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. {9} He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed {10} and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.”

(Acts 3:1-7 NIV) ““One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. {2} Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. {3} When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. {4} Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" {5} So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. {6} Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." {7} Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.””

(Matthew 13:58 NIV) “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

(Luke 13:34 NIV) “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Because their time and resources were limited, Paul and Barnabas looked for those who had faith to believe. Two indicators of faith were a listening ear and good eye contact. When Paul looked into the eyes of the attentive crippled man, he saw faith. He saw willingness in the man’s eyes. We cannot knock the doors down in people’s lives -- faith must open the door from the inside before the Lord will enter. Jesus dealt with this early in His ministry, leaving Nazareth because of their lack of faith -- and near the end of His ministry, when He lamented Jerusalem’s unwillingness to believe. Perhaps that is why He spent the majority of His time ministering in other places. Spend time with those who know they have a need -- those who want change in their life. It is difficult to bring healing to the faithless who think they are just fine. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day