At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.
Acts 14:8-10 (NASB)
As I read the account of the disabled man in our scripture today, it occurred to me that here was a lesson for us believers. The man was attentive to what Paul was saying about Jesus; it might have been a sermon or a conversation with one or more people. Either way, this beggar was listening with interest, and Paul had seen his attention. It reminds me of what Romans has to say about the value of the Word being shared: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17).
Paul did not waste the opportunity; this man was Gospel fruit ripe for the harvesting. The same must be true of us in our daily walk with God in this world; we must be attentive to those listening to us and the manner in which they respond. When fruit is ripe, it will separate easily from the tree or the world, as in this case.
Dear Reader, let us be attentive to those we meet today. First, may it be the subject in our morning hour of prayer; that His Spirit would guide us in who we meet and what we say – all being done to His glory.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures
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