Today's Meditation
Read Acts 3:1-11
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. 2And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” 7And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished.
"Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me." How many of you grew up, hearing this little ditty? I think it was a nice way to help children try and get over teasing and torture inflicted upon them by their fellow classmates. And yet, I've come to believe that words actually have power. Think about it, God spoke the world into existence in the beginning of Genesis. Then in John we hear the familiar words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the Word was God." On Pentecost the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in different languages so that all would understand. Throughout the gospel accounts Jesus often spoke people into healing, just like in this passage with Peter and John. Peter spoke to the lame man, "Stand and walk" and he was healed.
Beyond our actions, which are also significant, our words have tremendous power to both hurt and heal. We might not be able to speak a person into physical wellness, but our words can go a long way into healing people's deeper pain, the pain of spirit and soul. What will you use your words for today, to hurt or to heal?
Rise Up - I've used this song and this video before in a past meditation, but I think it is appropriate for today.
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