Bible reading: acts 3:2 – 8
Step 3: We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills
over to the care of God.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your
spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all of my life and
will to Christ care and control.
“Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:8)
As we travel the road to recovery, we may feel like we’ve
been reduced to begging for help. Our lives have been crippled by our own
addictions in the addictions of others. We approached God’s door, with heads
down, because we feel desperate for the help He promises to give. But even
though we come to God with our heads down, that’s not how it has to stay.
Listen to the story about Peter and John’s encounter with a
man who felt this way: “They saw a man lame from birth carried along the street
and laid beside the Temple gate… as was his custom every day. As Peter and John
were passing by, he asked them for some money. They looked at him intently, and
then Peter said, ‘Look here!’ The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting a
gift. The Peter said, ‘We don’t have any money for you! But I give you
something else! I commend you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!’
Then Peter took the lame man by the hand and pulled him to his feet. And as he
did, the man’s feet and ankle bones were healed and strengthened… and [he]
began walking! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the
Temple with them” (Acts 3:2 – 8).
We may turn to God hoping for meager handouts to keep us
going. But he has much more for us! He wants to give us such a full recovery
that we are healed and transformed. He wants to take us from being the beggar
at God’s door, to being so full of joy that we can’t keep from leaping and
praising God.
When we ask God for help, He gives us what we really need.
