April 12th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON ACTS 

IT IS ALL ABOUT FAITH IN JESUS  

Acts 3:11-16 “While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over to be killed, and you disowned Him before Pilate, though he had decided to let Him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”   

Peter left no doubt as to how the man was able to walk. It was not by some magical or divine power possessed by Peter. The man was healed, Peter declared, “By faith in the name of Jesus. . .” Prior to this healing, the gospels record 23 different healings by Jesus of those who had come to Him in faith asking that He would heal them.    

Matthew 8:5-13 records one of those 23 healings. A Centurion came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus offered to go to the servant, but the Centurion said to Jesus, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Then Jesus commented, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” Finally, Jesus said to the Centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”  The faith of the man here in Acts 3, the faith of the Centurion in Matthew 8, is the same faith God has given you. Solomon encourages you to, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5)  

Prayer: Holy Spirit, create in me a faith that will not shrink tho’ pressed by many a foe. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Oh, for a faith that will not shrink   
Tho’ pressed by many a foe;  
That will not tremble on the brink   
Of poverty or woe; 

That will not murmur nor complain   
Beneath the chast’ning rod,  
But in the hour of grief or pain   
Can lean upon its God; 

A faith that shines more bright and clear   
When tempests rage without;  
That, when in danger, knows no fear,   
In darkness feels no doubt; 

That bears unmoved the world’s dread frown   
Nor heeds its scornful smile;  
That sin’s wild ocean cannot drown   
Nor Satan’s arts beguile; 

A faith that keeps the narrow way  
Till life’s last spark is fled  
And with a pure and heavenly ray  
Lights up the dying bed. 

Lord, give us such a faith as this;  
And then, whate’er may come,  
We’ll taste e’en now the hallowed bliss  
Of an eternal home.  

Oh, for a Faith That Will Not Shrink // TLH 396