Acts 8:19 He said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Simon’s mistake here is sadly not unusual. He saw spiritual power as something external to be manipulated, and obviously, as something to be bought and sold. Peter’s response is understandable! Spiritual power by definition doesn’t originate with people, but with either God or the devil. In neither case does material wealth have anything to do with it. In both cases, the desirable, valuable thing is the soul of the individual. If we want the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to be submitted to Him for Him to use us, not the other way around, the way Simon was thinking of it. Obviously, submitting ourselves to the devil in order to get that sort of spiritual power has absolutely tragic consequences, and as the Faust story, and others like it, illustrate, that never ends well. As came out two days ago, God’s power never originates with us, but it can and does operate through us when we are yielded to Him. As Jesus said so famously in Acts 1:8, the power of the Holy Spirit is primarily for us to demonstrate Christ, to testify of His power and love and goodness. That’s what Philip had been doing, and as a result many believed and opened their hearts to Jesus as Lord. God does not give His power to inflate us, and that is what Simon wanted.

I can’t say I am entirely untainted by Simon’s motivation. My flesh would like to have the reputation of being “a man of power,” and that is entirely unworthy. I’ve got to seek to be a vessel, a tool for God to use, and not put myself forward. I’m not to hesitate to step out when God says to do so, but doing it on my own will result in failure at best, and major damage at worst. I have seen God work through me, at times miraculously, and I would like to see much more of that, but “works of power” are not to be my focus. I am to be focused on my Lord and submitted to Him, whether He chooses to use me or not. After all, anything temporal is insignificant compared to the eternal glory that awaits me. I need to be as absolutely convinced of God’s power as Peter was, and just as submitted to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You are doing in, around, and through us. Thank You for the new, “mystery” health challenge my wife is having. The cause is indeed unknown, to the point that I don’t know where to take her, medically speaking, but nothing is unknown, or even difficult, for You. However, pain is pain, and I do ask Your relief for her, whatever the source. May she and I both be honest with You and with ourselves and with each other, so that Your truth may be manifested in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!