PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Acts 28:1-10
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“After prayer, Paul placed his hands on him and healed him.” (Acts 28:8)
Been there, done that… well most of that anyway.
I’ve gone in to see sick people, prayed and laid my hands on them.
But to the best of my knowledge, there were no miracles of healing.
Not sure what point I am making by this, just honestly facing the passage.
It does make it hard to keep on speaking about the miracles of Jesus.
I believe them, I pray for them, but I have not seen them firsthand.
Though many people have told me about other miracle stories.
The Deceiver does use this to cause me to question, and doubt.
Is it a failure on my part – not enough faith, unhelpful prayer, unconfessed sin?
Or maybe it’s God’s timing and purpose, God has other plans?
Either way, my sense of Jesus is that his mercy trumps my inability and failure.
Unlike Paul, people don’t mistake me for a god, and that is OK.
It is my inability and failure that qualify me to speak about the mercy of Jesus.
I proclaim Jesus, not myself, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)
PRAYER
Lord, I am your servant, weak and flawed. Use me to demonstrate your mercy, use me (like Paul) to help others see that God is God, not me. That you are great, not me.
Paul and his team are honoured: :They honored us in many ways” Publius the chief official cares for all their needs and sends them on their way with hands full – they provided all their needs (they had lost everything afterall). God continues to provide for Paul – also guarding him from the poison of the snake and enabling Paul to heal many people. What a blessing and how Paul blesses the people – surely they hear about the mighty name of Jesus through their words and actions. The island was probably abuzz with all the wonders that happened there! Praying that we might be able to ‘stir’ others as well by us faithfully testifying of the love of Jesus for all people!