And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
Acts 9:32-35
It is science fair season. Ugh! That is not my forte! However, I am always amazed and fascinated by the amazing truths of God and His Creation when I start helping my kids research them. I do not like helping to put them together, it stresses me out. Stress aside and poster board aside, I enjoy learning about the crazy things our Creator can do and has allowed us to learn. Who ever knew that a batter could be made from a potato?
Luke’s writing now turns the attention towards Peter. Because of Saul’s conversion, and because the Jew’s were now targeting Saul, it gave the church a bit of a reprieve from persecution. Peter was able to travel to visit and encourage the saints in other locations.
When Peter comes to Lydda, which is about -5-10 miles southeast of Joppa depending on which commentator, he comes across a man named Aeneas. This is a Greek name and scholars seem to agree that he was a Hellenist (a Greek speaking Jew) and an unbeliever at the time of this miracle. The poor man had been bedridden for 8 years. Just imagine the pain he was in and the bedsores he had to deal with! As an invalid in those days, he was dependent on everyone for his survival, and all Lydda knew it. Peter gives all glory to Jesus Christ in his command to Aeneas to arise and make his bed (which is the morning greeting most of us should give our children to remind them to make their bed), and the unbelieving man believed and obeyed!
The word spread like fire and many turned to Christ in Lydda and the neighboring countryside Saron. This truly was a miracle and only the Messiah could do this!
Beautiful things happen when we realize that God is in every miracle. From the miracle of life, to sunrises and sunsets, to snow (I love snow! That’s because I love snow days!), to miracles of answered prayer, we cannot logically deny that there is a God and that He is Great and that He is Good! Aeneas’ life proved that Jesus was Messiah and others heard and witnessed His miracle. Does your life prove that Jesus is Messiah? Do others hear and see through you that Jesus is Messiah?
Written by Kaye Dee Richards. Kaye Dee lives with her husband Colin in Morrison, CO. They have 4 children, Joshua, Amelia, Victoria, and Julia.
To contact Kaye Dee, leave a comment, message us on Facebook, or email comments@thebeautifulspirit.org
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