To seize something means to take hold of it suddenly and forcibly. It is an eager act of decisiveness. Most of us have no problems with seizing opportunities. When we see something we like, we will drop everything we are doing so that our hands, our time, or our mind will be open to grasp whatever it is we want. For instance, just last night (Wednesday) I was in Wal-Mart to pick up some hurricane supplies. Although it was 5 days before a hurricane might arrive in our area, the entire bottled water aisle was picked completely clean. There wasn’t a bottle anywhere to be found. Much of the bread was gone as well. When people heard that a storm was coming, they seized the opportunity to attain all the water at that store. Instead of watching T.V., or going to the mall, or doing homework, they went to Wal-Mart! We do the same sort of thing for people we love. If we see an item that our spouse, our child, our good friend, or even our dog might like, we seize the opportunity and we purchase that thing immediately. All of this happens because our minds are focused on attaining those things. It often happens at a subconscious level, so that we don’t even have to think about seizing the opportunity — we just do it.
We see a wonderful example of this in Acts 3:1-11. In that story, a lame man is daily carried to a gate in the city. On one of those days, the apostles Peter and John come upon him. Because of his condition, the man begs alms from the two. Peter doesn’t hesitate, but instead, seizes the opportunity to help a man and glorify God. He takes hold of the moment, forcibly, suddenly, eagerly, and decisively. He looks straight at the man and tells him he doesn’t have any money to give him, but that he will give what he has. He then tells the man to get up and walk. The man is healed and follows the two into the city! Peter had spiritual power, and he used it in that decisive moment. But if Peter had not been looking for opportunities to grasp, then a man would not have been healed, God would not have been glorified, and that story would not have found its way into the bible.
You are in the same place as Peter. If you belong to Jesus, then you have immense power! Perhaps God has not given you the power to heal people physically, but every Christian has been given the power to seize a moment for God and give others the opportunity to seize spiritual healing. In what ways have you seized the moment? What kinds of opportunities can you look forward to seizing this week?
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