Acts 9:32-35

There is a key here that we must not miss. Peter didn’t heal this man—Jesus did! Peter was simply the messenger. What prevents us from going up to someone and saying, “Jesus Christ heals you”? He paid for our healing and our salvation on the Cross. We are the recipients and bearers of this Good News.
What do you think Jesus meant when He said:

“Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is a second part to this story that I think we miss as well. Notice Peter tells him to do something: “Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat.” The moment Aeneas did this, he was healed instantly. The act of rolling up his mat was an act of faith on Aeneas’ part, which unlocked his healing.

I remember being at a service where the minister was calling out different ailments that Jesus was healing. One had to do with ears. I had “coincidentally” been dealing with a crackling sensation in my left ear that was especially noticeable when I put my pinky finger in it to see if I could get whatever it was out. I remember thinking to myself, “It really is no big deal, and he is probably referring to someone else.” He then made this statement: “I want you to do something you couldn’t do before. For instance, if you couldn’t raise your hand above your head, do it now. Or if you couldn’t lift your leg, do it now.”

Just being honest here, my thought was, “What do I have to lose?” I wasn’t exactly full of faith, but Jesus doesn’t need much—just the size of a mustard seed—to activate His miracles. So I put my pinky finger in my ear, moved it around, and the crackling was gone! It has been 10 years since that happened, and the crackling has not returned.

I learned something that day: faith isn’t faith until there is a corresponding action associated with it.
I think we often want to wait to feel something different before we step out, but it is the stepping out that allows it to happen. Faith unlocks the provision.

Notice the result of this miracle: “Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.” Miracles have a way of helping people see God.

What miracle are we waiting for? Maybe that is the problem—we are in a posture of waiting rather than receiving. Some things are already ours—like healing.

I will leave you with this Scripture to ponder this morning:

“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Notice it says, “by His wounds you were healed”—past tense. It has already been paid for! We just need to pick it up ?