Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Acts 3:1-6 (KJV)
Chuck Swindoll remarked, “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” In Acts 2 Luke has described the early church by saying:
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. Acts 2:43 (NIVUK)
In Acts 3 we see an ‘impossible situation’ miraculously transformed and the purpose of Pentecost lived out in the lives of Peter and John.
Notice the phrase “such as I have give I thee” in today’s passage. This phrase can also be translated, “But what I’ve been given, what I have been filled with, I give to you.”
This was just an ordinary day in the life of Peter and John. It was 3pm in the afternoon. For this crippled man, it was also an ordinary day; in fact, every day was the same: the same spot, the same crowd, the same scene, the same routine. The congregation going to prayer “recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
Imagine how many people simply ignored this beggar each day. Think of how many people we encounter on a daily basis who are going through difficulty and are just hoping someone will notice and offer to help. For this man, the day would be different because he was about to encounter God and experience a total change in his life. Why? Because Peter and John would be walking by soon and were willing to be channels of God’s love. Do you know what it means to become a channel of God’s love? It means God is simply using you as an instrument with which he can serve His purpose. I believe there are many divine appointments and opportunities in our lives if only we would be willing to be channel of blessing to others and say, “Such as I have give I thee.”