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June 6 Daily Devotional

Look on Us

Frans Bakker

And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. —Acts 3:4

Bible Reading

Acts 3:1–8

Devotional

Peter and John enter the temple through the gate called Beautiful and notice a lame beggar seated there, asking for alms. They fasten their eyes on him. This man must have expected much. Many passed by, but these two men stand still and consider his plea. Scripture tells us that the beggar thought he would receive something. Little did he know that he was at the point of receiving everything.

Peter and John come to the temple by the Spirit of God and are still full of the Spirit of Pentecost. They stand there as ambassadors of God. Therefore, it is God who looked at this man. It is God who saw his misery. What a privilege!

In every sorrow and care, in all sadness and difficulties, there is a God who fastens His eyes upon our grief. The psalmist says, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me” (Ps. 40:17). When the eyes of God are on miserable sinners, on lame and lost people, there is deep comfort.

It is obviously disappointing to the lame man when Peter begins to speak. The beggar thinks he will receive money instead of hearing words. How can words help you when you are in poverty? Would you not prefer money above words? But Peter has no money. Of himself, he has nothing. But he comes to this lame beggar with what the Lord Jesus has. Is not this glorious?

Peter speaks honestly, “I have nothing, but what I have, I give to you.” What a blessed situation for a servant of the Lord to be in. A servant of God has nothing in himself but may yet offer everything in and through Christ. This is what 1 Peter 1:18, 19 says: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

The blood of Christ is worth far more than gold and silver, for this blood takes away the cause of all our misery. The cause of grief, misery, and lameness can only be removed in this one Name. “Silver and gold have I none,” Peter says. But he does offer to the beggar the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In this name is the man’s salvation. This name does not give silver and gold to help a person through life, but this name provides blood so that you can appear before God, and come out of the world into a land where you will run and not be weary, and will walk and not be faint. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.

 

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