What We Have

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognised 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. (Acts 3:1-10)
When my children were younger, we went on a family holiday into a remote and rural part of France. Late one evening, as I was carrying one of my sons from the garden into bed, he looked up at the night sky and exclaimed to me, ‘Daddy, look! They have so many more stars in France than they do in London.”

You know and I know that there are just as many stars in London as there are in rural France – it’s just that the city lights hide those stars from our eyes. We can’t see what we have in the heavens above us because there are so many streetlamps and house lights to distract us from what is ours up above. The same is true of what we have in Christ, and I’ve been wondering whether God has been using the darkness of lockdown to strip away some of the earthly pleasures that can hide those heavenly pleasures from our eyes. What do you think?

In Acts 3, the apostles Peter and John are on their way to a prayer meeting. As they are about to enter the Temple courtyards to meet their friends, they encounter a lame beggar who has never been able to walk in his life. When he asks them for money, he is asking the wrong people because Peter confesses to him freely that he and John have barely got two pennies to rub together. But then he tells him something else that is truly remarkable. He claims that their lack of earthly treasures has opened their eyes to the great heavenly treasures that are theirs in Jesus. Since Jesus is the Healer, and since they have been commissioned by Jesus to carry on his earthly ministry, they have something far greater than money to give to the beggar. Peter declares with confidence: “What I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Instantly the man is healed!

Throughout this week, we are going to be exploring in our Everyday Devotions “what we have” in Jesus Christ and how we can give “what we have” away to others. We are going to dive deeply into the Scriptures to discover treasures which have long been obscured from our eyes, but which the troubles of the past year might just help us to see right now. The stars are best seen on a dark night, so let me ask you: What do you think you have in Jesus?
1)   That wasn’t just a rhetorical question. Make a list of some of the things that are now “what we have” through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ?

2)   How aware are you generally that these things are true about you? Do these truths shine brightly to you, like the stars in a dark sky, or do you tend to be distracted from them?

3)   How can you keep on reminding yourself that these things are true? Why not try the following?
      Write them down. Speak them out. Pray them in. Pass them on to others.
Father God, I thank you that you have given me so much through your Son, Jesus Christ. Please open the eyes of my heart that I might fully grasp “what we have” through his earthly mission for us. Please help me to believe these truths deep within my heart, to experience them actively, and to pass them on boldly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Today’s Everyday Devotions were brought to you by Phil Moore, who leads our team of whole-church elders.

If you have time, consider carrying on your conversation with God using one of our helpful Prayer Pathways.

Today’s Everyday Devotions have also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube channel.

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