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“But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ” Acts 3:6-7

I’m amazed at how often I try to be strong by my own name.

At the beginning of this year, God impressed this scripture into my mind and I have been thinking about it almost everyday since.

We must become and be strong in the name of Jesus, not in the name of our idol, not in the name of our parents or children, no matter how much strength they have lent us, not in the expectations of our friends or co-workers, but only in the name of Jesus will our strength provide long lasting strength.

I love that this scripture says that the man’s ankles were made strong. I keep having this visual of Jesus being my foundation in life and the more I grow to know God and pursue Him, the bigger my foundation grows, strong in the name of Jesus.
But, then, I feel like I’ve been sitting recently in the center of the foundation. I see the perimeter growing and expanding, making it harder to see the edge. I know my future in pursuing God is great, but my spirit has felt too weak for me to go explore the new growth I’ve seen in my foundation.

I feel like the man in the scripture. My ankles are being made strong right now. I wouldn’t say that they are strong right now. I feel shaky. But I know my foundation is strong and won’t break, even if I fall.

I know soon, as I continue to seek God in prayer, praise, reading scripture, and, what I believe has been important to the strengthening of my spiritual ankles, talking to people about how I truly feel, I will be able to proclaim the ways God is working in my life as I walk again, healed by patience, not in understanding, but by faith in the name of Jesus Christ that he is still moving in my life.

“And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” Acts 3:8-10