Acts 3:12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”

This is a superb example of giving all the glory to God, but there is one difference in translation that just caught my eye. Where the NIV says “godliness,” the Japanese says “depth of faith.” These days we call people who operate in the Gift of Healing “faith healers,” and run around comparing one person’s level of faith to that of another. Peter is saying very clearly that the question is Who you believe in. God does give faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9) and faith that is exercised does grow, but the question is always the object of our faith. Some people seem to have faith in faith! It is true that “without faith it is impossible to please God,” (Hebrews 11:6) but too often we try to attach our faith to things that are less than God. There is a Japanese proverb that says, “Even a sardine’s head can be an object of faith,” but no one has ever been saved by faith in a sardine’s head! Peter couldn’t have been more clear that this was all because of Jesus, and he and John were no more than incidental instruments. I think the reason Jesus repeatedly used expressions like “faith as small as a mustard seed” (Luke 17:6) is because it isn’t a matter of the quantity of our faith, but rather the object of our faith. We’ve got to be very clear that whereas we can’t do anything right on our own, Jesus can and does do everything right, even using us.

This is an area where I am continuing to grow. Various people have commented on my level of faith, but I certainly haven’t been a “miracle worker” to this point. However, I do have full assurance that if He wanted to, Jesus could heal every person I touched, starting today. At the same time, I certainly know I can’t do that on my own. I need to be like Peter, walking in such assurance of my risen Lord that He is able to do anything at all through me. I have long desired that the Lord would confirm His word through me by signs and wonders, (Mark 16:20) but the danger of that swelling my head is immense. I am to walk in daily, humble faithfulness, knowing that God’s plans are perfect, and that He is big enough and strong enough to use even me in fulfilling them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your plans, and that You include me in them. Thank You that my birthday is past, and all the emotional baggage of entering “the latter period of old age.” May I indeed keep my eyes on Jesus and so be fully available at all times for You to use me or not use me as You please, whatever that might mean, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!