February 5, 2009 - Acts 8:18-19

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 8:18-19.
By this time, Peter and John had arrived in the Samaritan city in which Philip had proclaimed the good news concerning Jesus. Many people were responding the message, becoming followers of Jesus and being baptized in water. Peter and John began laying hands on these people so that they would receive an infilling of the Holy Spirit. Evidently, there was some outward manifestation of this indwelling, for Simon, the magician, wanted to purchase this “ability” so that whomever he laid his hands on would receive the Holy Spirit in the same manner.
I have been fortunate enough to have experienced some amazing occurrences in my journey with Jesus. I have seen people healed and set free from all kinds of oppression. And there have been times that I wish that I had that ability, and, I would hasten to add, not for all the right reasons. I wish I could say that I totally wanted God to get all the notice and attention, but that just wouldn’t be true. I really wanted, like Simon in these verses, to have the ability to do these amazing things, so that people would realize how “connected” I was to God and how “spiritual” they would think I was! Does that surprise you that I expressed this so openly? The truth of the matter is that each of us, to some degree, have similar frailties and feelings.
Questions to consider: Would you like to have similar gifting as did the disciples from these verses, or would you like to have some other gifting? What would you like for that to look like? For what reasons would you like to have this gifting?
Prayer: Father, thank You for putting me together the way that You did. In Your wisdom and creativity, You fashioned me this way for Your purposes. Help me to see how I can work toward Your purposes as we journey together. Amen.