And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? Acts 3:12
Who gets the credit for doing the Lord’s work when the results are obvious? We praise the preachers when someone is saved, and well we should recognize them for their diligence and for their excellent messages. But only God can and does save souls. We praise the workers when a conference is successful, and well we should appreciate the effort and the care that goes into it. But only God can and does bless the gatherings of His people. We should never miss the hand of the Lord in His business.
Peter and John were the centre of attention in the temple after the healing of the lame beggar. But Peter quickly pointed out that he and John lacked any power or virtue to heal anyone. His response to the crowd’s attention reminds us to be careful about claiming any credit for that which the Lord accomplishes The disciples were undoubtedly as thrilled at the healing as the people were. But they knew Who deserved the credit. And they made sure the people knew it.
This miracle provided an excellent opportunity for the disciples to witness for Christ. In fact, that was the very reason why God performed the miracle. It had caught the attention of the people in an amazing way. Peter seized the opportunity and used it to preach a powerful Gospel message in which Jesus Christ was given His rightful place.
It is good to give Christians the credit for all the work they do for our Lord. But let us always give God all the glory for the results of that work. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/QFoRvPZtPCU