Faith for the Impossible

Whew! Our missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, barely escaped stoning in Iconium. But then in Lystra they began preaching again. One poor man started hearing them who had been totally crippled from birth. Never ever taken a step! (Acts 14:5-19)

It's when this cripple was carefully listening to Paul that "he (Paul) had fixed his gaze on him (the cripple) and had seen that he had faith to be made well...."  Whoa! The wonderful power of God to increase our faith as we truly hear His word. 

Then Paul said "with a loud voice, 'Stand upright on your feet.' And he leaped up and began to walk." 

The people could hardly believe their eyes! They now thought that the apostles must be gods and started calling Paul, Hermes, and Barnabas, Zeus. The priest of Zeus actually brought oxen and garlands to have a sacrifice in the new "gods" behalf.

Oh dear! Things were getting so out of hand that the apostles ripped their clothes and ran into the crowd crying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God". Our guys were barely able to keep that mob from going ahead with awful sacrifice.

Then, to top it all off, those old jealous Jews from Antioch and Iconium actually showed up and "having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead".

What an adventure! But the part that really grabbed me is that the man you'd call a cripple had the faith to obey, leap, and walk as he heard good news from Paul. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

Lord, help us to hear and obey. We want faith for the impossible!