Verse of the Day - Luke 17:12-14

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. ~ Luke 17:12-14 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...and as they went, they were cleansed.

So many diseases and afflictions were incurable in the days of Jesus. Blindness, disfigured limbs, seizures, bleeding disorders. But none so terrifying and ostracizing as leprosy. Whether it was the disease by the same name we know today which eats away at flesh, or some other skin condition, we don't exactly know. But it was a killer of the spirit, for sure. To be sequestered into colonies because you are "unclean". To lose touch with friends and family because you might taint them. (Sounds like AIDS, doesn't it?) Your friends become those who are afflicted like you . . . tainted together. What a miserable existence for body and spirit.

But in Jesus, these 10 men -- bound together by their helplessness -- saw help coming. Somehow they'd heard about Jesus, and they believed. Believed enough to cry out to Him for help. They might not have known how he would help them, but they were convinced He could. How do I know that? Because when He told them to go show themselves to the priests, they WENT! Anyone in that day knew that when you were cleansed of a disease, you went to the priest to be deemed "clean" again, so that you could re-enter society. For Jesus to tell them to go meant that they would be clean. They didn't wait for their skin to heal -- they just walked in the direction of faith, and they were healed. That's faith in action!

How often do we walk in the direction of faith? How many times do we act, believing in God's power to restore, heal, provide, protect? If your answer is, "Not much...", don't be discouraged! God gives you opportunities time and again to exercise your faith, to build up your spiritual muscle, to believe in and trust Him to do what only He can do. To do what you can't do yourself.

You know what you're afflicted with. You know the circumstances you face. So, what direction will you walk in today?

Love,
Joelene