Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"Surprise! Surprise!"
Jun. 22, 2018
But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
~ Acts 3:6-9 (ESV)
Two weeks ago, Ohio's Ravenna High School had its graduation ceremonies.
The event was pretty standard fare. The girls were crying because they realized their lives were going to be changing and some BFFs were probably going to be demoted. The boys were laughing and joking as they remembered certain exciting or rebellious days from the past. You know how it goes: "Hey, Tom, do you remember the time you ...," and the teller of the story would fill in the blank with one of Tom's misadventures.
The teachers were present, looking on with admiration at some students who always did their best and with amazement at other pupils who managed, somehow, to achieve a grade-point average which allowed them to walk with the class.
Naturally, there were the proud parents and relatives. Armed with a plethora of cameras, they took pictures of their children; pictures of their children with family; pictures of their children with friends; pictures of their children with the families of their friends; and pictures with total strangers.
Yes, everything was pretty much standard fare except for one student: Lexi Wright.
Wright was special because she had cerebral palsy, and nobody expected her to "walk" with her class. Her confinement in the wheelchair prevented that. Sorry, I got that wrong. One person, Wright, was sure she was going to walk, and to that end she privately practiced walking for the entire year.
That's how it came to pass that at graduation, Wright stood up, and with the help of a walker, made it across that stage. Her mother, who knew nothing of her plans, was in tears, and the audience gave her a standing ovation. Wright, her parents, her friends, and her classmates can be proud. With sheer dedication and commitment, she did as good as any human could.
Indeed, only the Lord could do better.
Take a look at the text from Acts where it speaks of a man who had been crippled since birth. Peter, by the power of Jesus' Name, heals the man. Amazingly, the man did not need any therapy or the assistance of a walker. The Lord's healing was complete, total, and absolute. That is shown as the man leaps as He enters the temple, praising God.
Most people, when they read that story, they say, "I wish the Lord would heal me that way."
To which my reply is "He has!" When your sins were forgiven, all your sins were forgiven: completely, totally, absolutely. When the Lord invited you back into His family of faith, there was no probationary period. And the day will come when you breathe your last in this world, then, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, you will awaken in the home Jesus has given you.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks You have made me well. I rejoice in the blood of the Savior whose sacrifice has forgiven me, saved me, and made me a member of the family of faith. For the completeness of this miracle, I praise His Name. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by the AP on June 10, 2018. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/teen-with-cerebral-palsy-stuns-mom-by-walking-at-graduation/ar-AAyqG2r?ocid=se
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Two weeks ago, Ohio's Ravenna High School had its graduation ceremonies.
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