"And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God” (Acts 3:8-9).
This man had been lame since his birth, and he was now over 40 years old (Acts 4:22). He had to be carried to “work” every day at the temple gate so he could beg for a living. He was a familiar sight at the temple, so everyone in town was aware of his condition since he had begged from that spot for so many years.
The minute he was healed, he went immediately from sitting or lying down all day on the temple steps to walking, running, leaping, and praising God. There was no way to stop this man from jumping up and down and shouting praises to God. And as he ran around sharing his good news and praising God, he gathered a crowd of people from town who were totally stunned by the amazing report and started praising God along with him.
Looks Like ...
We can read about miracles that have happened around the world, or listen to a testimony on a Christian TV program, and we may get goose bumps and quietly praise the Lord. But those stories don’t have the same impact on our hearts as when we personally know the person for whom God has reached out and done a miracle.
The Bible doesn’t say, but I imagine that man never stopped telling the story about his miracle for the rest of his life. His walk became a walk of praise. He told his story primarily to the people who had known him since childhood, people who had put money in his cup, people who had supported him over the years as well as people who may have ignored him as they entered the temple.
Likewise our walk should be a walk of praise. We should tell our story, share our testimony with people we know, and tell what the Lord has done for us every time we get an opening. Our testimony has the ability to lead the unsaved to Christ, to stir believers up, and to strengthen them in their faith.
Ask Yourself ...
When was the last time you shared your story about something wonderful the Lord has done for you? Is your walk a walk of praising or a walk of whining?