Walking, leaping and praising

The world athletics championships in Tokyo had several spectacular results. One of them was the victory of the team from Great Britain in the 4 x 400 metres relay. In England it was 10:15 in the morning, and many people arrived late for church that Sunday. The last leg was run by KRISS AKABUSI, who made up the team with ROGER BLACK, DEREK REDMOND and JOHN REGIS. Kriss, a committed evangelical Christian almost screamed at all of the journalists, "Christ is the true victory!"

People who let out their excitement are always welcome in every place. I would say they are indispensable. In our Bible reading today, we find a man who was able to come into a public place walking and leaping and praising God.

Okay, I know you are going to say that he had a good reason for doing so.

He had been paralysed for more than forty years and, suddenly, in an instant, using two of his servants, God had strengthened his legs and ankles and he was able to walk. Can you imagine the joy he felt? He couldn't be still! He went all over the place walking and leaping and praising God. He didn't go unnoticed anywhere he went. God had done a miracle in his life and he wanted to give thanks publicly.

And us? Many could say that instead of walking and leaping and praising God, we have remained still, without moving, and without speaking a word. We may even have thought that it wouldn't be proper for someone to worship God in this way. Maybe it's because we are half dead, or maybe we don't realise what God has done in our lives.

Have we already forgotten what God did for us? We were all dead, and he gave us life (Eph.2). He saved us, made us his children, and gave us eternal life. All the books in the world wouldn't be enough to write about the blessings we have received from him. That is why Paul, when he wrote the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, said that God has blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings. And what about material blessings? If you try to write them down, you will find that you are unable to remember even the hundredth part of them - they are innumerable.

We have no right to remain silent. Enough of being still!

Walk...leap...praise the Lord! Shout to the world that nothing, no-one, is     greater than him!