July 9, 2025

Today's Reading: Acts 14:1-18

Daily Lectionary: Judges 4:1-24; Judges 5:1-31; Acts 14:1-18

“In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’” (Acts 14:8-11)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

God is awesome. God does incredible things every day. When you look around you see God working in creation over and over again. This is exactly what happened that day. God works through Paul to heal this man in Lystra. This man had never walked. Paul saw his faith and told him to do that which he never had. His faith made him well, so well, in fact, that he didn't just stand up; he jumped up. This wasn’t a better situation, this was the best possible scenario.

However, people are not so smart. (Not just these people, all people, even you and me). People are arrogant and prideful and like to pretend that they understand what is happening, even when they don't. People that day saw god heal that man, but said it was Zeus! People today will see God do amazing things in your life and bless you in incredible ways and (they won’t give Zeus credit, probably) they will say things like; it is luck, it is coincidence, it is fate, or (the worst one) that you were able to “manifest” good things by “thinking about them.” We poor sinners take credit away from God and His goodness any chance that we get.

Today, this week, and this month, God will bless you. I do not know how, and neither do you. Bad things will probably happen; I do not know what, and neither do you. But just because you do not know does not change that…God will be with you. In His great love for you, God is with you no matter what. God is not the blue genie from Aladdin waiting to grant your wishes, and He certainly is not waiting around for you to “manifest” it yourself. God will provide for you, bless you, love you, and forgive you. The world will not understand. But by faith…you will.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, open our eyes today to see your great work in your world around us. Strengthen our faith that we might see you more clearly. Bless our words and deeds so that others might be strengthened in their faith in You, the only true God. Amen.

- Rev. Roger Stites, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Sequim, WA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus’ farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ’s promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.