"Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put very day to beg from those going into the temple courts." (Acts 3:2 NIV)
The lame man had a routine. His habits included dependency upon others and begging, but it was a routine nevertheless. Peter and John had a routine, too. They went to prayer daily in the temple. We all have routines. The question is: where are our routines taking us? Do they move us toward Christ or away from Him? Do they contribute to our holiness or tear us away from holiness? Are our habits serving us or destroying us?
The lame man’s habit was to call upon others. (I would imagine for most, if not all of his daily needs.) It was Peter and John’s habit to call upon God. When we call on others, they get the glory. When we call on God; He gets the glory. God may involve others in meeting our need, but ultimately He’s coordinating the whole operation.
Peter gave what he possessed freely and his generosity with Jesus brought God glory. He didn’t just throw a couple coins at the man and move on; he looked the beggar right in the eyes and met his need entirely. This was a divine appointment God had penned into the disciples’ calendar that day because they had regular habits of prayer and obedience.
This begs us to ask ourselves a few questions:
What are my habits?
Are they moving me toward God or away from Him?
How do I respond when I’m interrupted?
Does God readily receive glory from my immediate obedience?
"He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went through the temple courts, walking and jumping, praising God. When all the people saw him as he same man who used to sit begging at the Temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:8-9 Nov)
I wonder if the lame man picked up a new routine that day? I wonder if he took to walking and jumping and praising God through the temple each day? I wonder if he began to tell his story through kinesthetic worship? When God interrupts our routines with a miracle, we might develop new routines to make Him famous.
Lord, please give us the courage to examine our routines today. What are our habits and where are they taking us? Help us rewrite our routines that they might move us toward You. Open our hearts to interruption. Get the glory from our story as we spend our restored lives praising You. Amen.