Living Faith

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

LIVING FAITH

Acts 20:7-12

7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

NIV

Alright then, we are here at church and the service lasted until midnight, no wait it lasted until dawn the next day. That is one long sermon, as it seems Paul never stopped talking, in fact one young man actually fell asleep in church and as a result fell three stories to the ground and thus being killed from the fall. But Paul was so full of faith he simply threw his arms around the young man and he came back to life. That is full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit and full of the power of God. It is not recorded for us if Paul actually said anything to the young man, or that simply by wrapping his arms around him God brought the man to life. We don’t know if Paul prayed, or invoked the name of Jesus, or what, all we know is he threw his arms around him. What do we learn from all this? It would appear God is or acts in spontaneous ways. That is to say there is no one formula needed for God to act. There is no set phrase we need to recite in order for God to answer. There is no particular method of prayer needed for God to act. But what certainly is needed is faith, or expectation that God will act, that it is a fact he will do it. It is certain Paul had absolutely no doubt in his mind. It would seem Paul did not think that God could do it, but will he? Paul was absolutely convinced God would bring this young man back to life. Although we most likely will never find ourselves in the situation Paul was in, we still have plenty of opportunity to believe and act on the fact God will do it. We do not know what scripture, if any, Paul was preaching from but we sure know his message was about Jesus and salvation and Christian living. He put his words into action and the people were greatly comforted. Should we do any less? Why shouldn’t we put our faith into action as Paul did? Once again, not so much as to bring someone back from the dead, but simply to believe God will do whatever it is that is needed to be done in order to show his power and might. Shouldn’t we live with that kind of faith?