Peter's Opportunity

Literally just moments ago, I was reading in the book of Acts when I read one phrase that grabbed hold of me and would not let go. It was one of those moments I knew I had to share with all of you.

This is the phrase I read: Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.

In the beginning of chapter three we meet this nameless beggar who has been lame since birth and because of this defect, has been reduced to begging at the temple gate. Along come Peter and John and the guy asks them for money just like he's probably asked a thousand people that day. But Peter says to him, "We don't have money but we'll give you what we do have: The power of Christ in us." And in the name of Jesus, Peter commands the man to walk and he's instantly healed. He celebrates by walking and leaping and praising God (any old school church goer has that one song stuck in their heads now. You're welcome) and this draws the attention of the crowd around him because he has never walked before let alone leaped. This is when Peter sees his opportunity and takes hold of it.

Now while the whole idea of giving what we can and seeing God's power at work through our weakness would make an amazing post in an of itself it's that phrase, "Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd" that gets me. He wasn't going to the temple with the intention of speaking to the people there. He was going to pray (verse 1, yo). But then he healed a man in Jesus' name and that lead to the chance to say, "Guys! We did not do this. God did this. He's pretty great. He's given you salvation. Take hold of it and receive blessing and an eternity with Him."

My point and my challenge is this: When we see an opportunity to promote God's greatness, do we take it? Or do we just sit there and smile and think to ourselves, "If only they knew."

Well how is anyone supposed to know if we don't tell them? Go tell someone how good God is! It might just be what they need to hear!

P.S. I'M BA-ACK!