CELEBRATING

Acts 3:8-10

He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they 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.

Have you ever run a race, when as you turn the final corner you see in the distance the finish line? You get this tremendous burst of energy and the fatigue of the race (or life trial) melts away. If you are the winner you are jumping for joy and the old worn out you begins to become a distant memory.

I was in Chicago recently during the annual running of the Chicago Marathon. It was a cold blustery day as only Chicago can produce in October. I'm sure you saw the race highlights on the news -- what made this race different was the winner was taken to the hospital. You see, in an effort to cross the finish line he leaned forward, lost his balance, and fell -- giving himself a concussion in the process. There wasn't much of a victory celebration.

Equally, how disappointed God must be when He brings us through a time of trial in our life, and just as we cross the finish line victoriously we utter, "That was lucky!"

I'm sometimes guilty of this. I want to blame God when things don't go right, but when He plucks me from the clutches of defeat I say, "See how clever and smart I was!" Or I explain God's miracle with some worldly wise explanation.

Are you guilty of demonstrating your "healing" (walking and jumping as the cripple did) yet not praising and honoring God? I know to our non-Christian friends and the world in general it is difficult to talk about God -- they may tune you out. But does this stop you from acknowledging God?

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