City Life Starter

Written by Chellakkan Blesson

The Word

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:1-10 (ESV)

Reflection

For several years, this man’s life had followed the same pattern: dependence, limitation, and survival. Each day, he was carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, placed there to do what he had always done: ask for alms from those entering to pray. His eyes were trained to look at people’s hands, not their faces, hoping for some coins. Some gave, many passed by. Routine had replaced hope.

On this particular day, nothing seemed different, until it was. As he was being carried to his usual place, he encountered two men: Peter and John. To him, they were likely no different from the others. His expectation was simple and small, perhaps a coin, enough to get through another day. But then, something unusual happened. Peter fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us.” For perhaps the first time in a long time, the man was invited to lift his eyes, from hands to faces, from survival to encounter. Expecting money, he gave them his attention. As Peter began to talk, he would have thought, there they go again, giving me lectures. Instead, he received something far greater. Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

What followed was immediate and undeniable. Strength filled his feet and ankles. The man who had never walked stood up, began to walk, and then leaped, overflowing with praise to God. In a moment, decades of limitation were overturned.

Application

This story reveals a powerful truth: What we expect is often far less than what God intends to give. The lame man knew what he wanted: daily provisions to survive. But God knew what he needed: complete restoration. We can fall into rhythms where hope quietly fades. Life becomes routine, and we settle into managing rather than believing. We fix our eyes on what is familiar, expecting only enough to get by.

But God is not limited by our expectations. When God moves, it goes beyond “silver and gold.” It breaks patterns, restores what seemed impossible, and introduces a completely new dimension of life. His work is not incremental; it can be transformational and immediate. The question is not whether God can act, but whether we are open when He does.

Are we willing to:

• Lift our eyes from routine to possibility?
• Receive what we did not expect?
• Step into something entirely new when God calls us forward?

Because when God intervenes, it is more than provision; it is renewal. More than survival; it is new life. And the proper response, like the healed man, is clear: to walk, to leap, and to give glory to God. Are we open to this new growth in a totally new dimension and give glory to God?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

It’s easy for me to settle into a routine, to lose sight of transformational hope, and to keep doing the same things over and over. Help me remain open to encountering You, and lead me into the next level, beyond anything I or anyone else could imagine.

In Jesus’ name. Amen