Luke 17:11-14 - As they continued onward toward Jerusalem, they reached the border between Galilee and Samaria, and as they entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, sir, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go to the Jewish priest and show him that you are healed!” And as they were going, their leprosy disappeared.
Everywhere that Jesus walked people begged for Him to heal them. These men…cut off from society because of a contagious…life altering disease…gathered together as close as they dared to shout at Jesus as He passed by to have mercy on them. He did…and simply told them to go show themselves to the priest…so that they could be proclaimed free of the disease that separated them from family and friends for years.
They did…knowing that when their feet left that spot the disease was still evident on their skin. They left in great faith…even before the healing happened. It was as they traveled toward the priest….as they followed the command of Jesus…that their skin lost all signs of the leprosy.
The one that came back to thank Jesus was even a Samaritan. He had no other religious experiences to gauge what had happened to him. Jesus was quick to exclaim that he had greater faith than the ones who had been raised with Moses law all their lives.
I needed the reminder this morning that sometimes God asks us to do things that we see no obvious reason for. He has asked me to move from a comfortable home…successful job…and a great church and friends to a huge unknown. There are blessings in the move. I will be retired. I will be close to my family again. I will be able to go to the church where I was raised. But I will be living on less income…and have no clue what he is sending me there to do for Him.
In less than a month I will be moving into a new season of life with many unknowns. I think that I will praise God in advance for the wonderful thing he is about to do. I will let my faith keep me from being scared….and trust that God has a wonderful plan or me….it will prosper me beyond my own dreams…and give me continued hope that He is the most important thing in my life. I will cling to that promise in Jeremiah 29:11 harder than ever as I prepare for this move.
Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to have more faith. Forgive me for the times that I have let fear and doubt keep me from being completely obedient. Give me the strength and courage that I need to step out in total faith so I can see the wonder of what you have planned for me. Amen.
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