One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 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. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 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.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 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.
— Acts 3:1-10

~~~~~

Now I Dance
By Jennifer Kane

At the gate called Beautiful,
I used to sit—
hands open,
heart small,
waiting for coins that clinked
like tiny mercies that never stayed.

Then—
a voice, steady but burning—
Look at us.
And I did.

No silver.
No gold.
Just a name—
spoken like sunrise breaking stone.

Jesus.
And suddenly—
the earth beneath me
became a song.

My legs—
strangers to motion—
remembered what joy feels like.
I stumbled first,
then stepped,
then ran—
awkward, laughing,
every breath a hallelujah
trying to catch its rhythm.

Through the temple doors I burst,
not walking so much as
leaping between thank-yous,
tripping over grace,
hands flung wide
because praise
had too much room to stay inside me.

I don’t move smooth—
not yet—
but I am alive,
and that’s its own music.

Once I begged for survival.
Now I dance for the Savior.

~~~~~

Scripture: Acts 3:1-10

We often come to God with a specific, limited request. Like the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, we sit at the entrance to God’s presence, asking for mere alms—just enough to get by, to sustain our current condition. We ask for a little help, a little comfort, a little provision. But God, in His magnificent grace, never intends to simply make our lameness more bearable. He wants to heal us completely and then teach us to walk, leap, and praise Him with the very life He has restored.

The man at the gate asked for alms. His entire identity and hope were wrapped up in receiving enough coins from passersby to survive another day. He was fixated on temporary relief. When Peter and John looked at him, he expected a financial transaction, not a life-changing transformation.

How often do we do the same? We come to God with a list of small needs, hoping He will just help us cope. We pray for patience to endure a difficult situation rather than for God to transform us within it. We ask for provision to stay afloat rather than for the faith to walk on water. Our expectations of God can be tragically low, settling for silver and gold when He wants to give us the power of His Son’s name.

Peter’s declaration is one of the most powerful statements in Scripture: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

The apostles possessed something far greater than money: the authority and power of the risen Jesus. They didn’t just feel sorry for the man; they offered him a new identity. They called him to rise, to walk, to leave his lifelong condition of helplessness behind. This healing was a vivid picture of salvation. We were spiritually lame, unable to walk in righteousness or enter God’s presence. But in the name of Jesus, we are saved, healed, and made new. The power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that enables us to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

This is the gift we receive at salvation—not just a ticket to heaven, but the very power of God to live a transformed life here and now.

Notice the man’s immediate response once he was healed. He didn’t just quietly slip away. He didn’t use his new legs to run off to a life of self-indulgence. The text tells us he did three things:

1. He entered the temple: He went into the place of worship and community with God’s people.
2. He was walking and leaping: He immediately began to use the gift he had been given. His healing was not theoretical; it was practical and active.
3. He was praising God: His heart overflowed with gratitude, and he directed that praise to the source of his healing.

This is the ultimate purpose of our salvation. God heals our spiritual lameness so that we can do what we were created to do: worship Him with our whole lives. The “walking” and “leaping” represent every gift, talent, and ability we have. Now that we are saved, we are to use our restored lives—our ability to speak, to serve, to love, to create, to lead—not for our own gain, but as an act of praise to the One who saved us.

Your “walking” might be serving somewhere in your local church. Your “leaping” might be sharing the gospel with joy or using your professional skills for God’s kingdom. The point is that every step we take in our new life is an opportunity to glorify God.

~~~~~

Heavenly Father, we confess that we often come to You like beggars, asking for small change to make our brokenness more comfortable. Forgive us. Thank You for the incredible gift of salvation through Jesus Christ—a gift that doesn’t just sustain us but transforms us entirely. You have called us to rise and walk. Fill us with Your Spirit today. Show us how to use every gift, every talent, and every moment of this restored life to walk, leap, and praise You with all our strength. May our lives be a continuous testimony to Your healing power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

October 14, 2025