A lesson from a leper

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Matthew 8:1‭-‬4 NKJV

This story is rich with personal application.

Picture the words:

“When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.”

Jesus is not alone, infact He’s being followed by an extreme number of people.

“And behold a leper came…”

God’s Word clearly states that those with this terrible disease were to avoid others.

“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Leviticus 13:45‭-‬46 NKJV

Can you hear him?

He would have yelled “unclean” as he crept toward Jesus.

But then his actions changed.

“…and worshiped Him.”

The first thing this leper did was worship, some translations say knelt.

The attitude of this leper is one of humility.

Which are reaffirmed by his words.

“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

He’s not asking for healing, he’s staying his understanding of Jesus’s authority and placing himself before Him with surrender.

‘Then Jesus put out His hand…”

As a person who was not allowed to be touched, this must have been an incredible moment.

But it was Jesus’s words which were life changing.

“…saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

This leper was a leper no more!

And Jesus gave him another identity, one of testimony.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'”

His testimony was not of words, but of action.

This man was to stand before the priests as a testimony to Jesus’s healing.

The very religious leaders who should have recognized the hand of God.

This man’s story is staggering.

His desperate need brought him to a place of surrender before Jesus.

Jesus changed his life, permanently and gave him a new future, a new calling.

The change in him after he met Jesus being visible to all.

I want that kind of testimony.

I want my life to be so healed, so different than the me before Jesus, that people might merely look at me and see Him.

And I know if I humble myself before Jesus daily, surrendering myself fully to His will, He will touch my life in such a way as to change me, making my life a testimony to others.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for this story. Thank You for the humility in this man. Lord, I know he was never the same after meeting You and neither am I. Lord Jesus, please help me to humble myself before You surrendering myself completely. Thank You for making this transformation a journey, each day a new opportunity to be polished by Your Holy Spirit. Each day a chance to shine brighter than the one before. I give You all glory and honor, Lord! You are worthy of all praise and worship! Amen.

May 12, 2022

Today’s prayer:

Deuteronomy 8:2-3NKJV — “And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word which speaks so clearly to our hearts. Lord, thank You for the body of Christ who joins together and who encourage one another. Lord, thank You for Your love which is perfect, showing us that we need teaching and discipline as much as grace and mercy and You measure it out perfectly. Thank You that You for Your sacrifice where we can find security in Your salvation. Lord, thank You for watching over us and sustaining us. Lord, thank You for Your blessings. Thank You for Your faithfulness, for You are perfect and Your ways are perfect. Your truth is life. Please continue to guide and direct us, honing our hearts. Lord, thank You for protecting the innocent, returning the prodigal, helping the widow and orphan, and especially for saving the lost. I love You Jesus. I praise Your holy name! Amen.

February 15, 2022

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Romans 12:9‭-‬13 NKJV

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for Your Word and Your salvation! Lord, thank You for Your practical instruction. Lord, please teach me how to love without hypocrisy. Lord, help me to abhor evil, to recognize sin and hate it. Lord Jesus I want to cling to goodness with every fiber of my being. Please help me to do so. Lord Jesus, please teach me how to be kindly affectionate, understanding appropriate behavior towards others in each circumstance. Lord, please continue to help me live in service to others, and not be selfish or self serving. Lord Jesus, I do not want to be slothful in my service to You, but rather purposefully applying Your truth daily. Please continue to remind me to be rejoicing always, patient in tribulation, steadfast in prayer, generous, humble, and hospitable. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:11 NKJV — “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Happy birthday! Thank You so much for Your birth. Thank You for coming as a babe and growing up and dieing for our sins. Lord, thank You for rising again. Thank You for sending the truth of the Gospel by Your disciples and those who came afterwards. Thank You for so many blessings which come from a relationship with You. Lord, thank You for this day where we get to set aside time to remember You and all You have done for us. Thank You for Your love and truth. I love You! Amen.

Comforter for the soul.

John 14:16-17 KJV — And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

For the follower of Jesus Christ, these words are a wonderful promise as well as instruction.

The Lord has given us His Holy Spirit to reside in us and to be the Comforter of our souls.

John 14:26 KJV — But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Holy Spirit is the reason we have understanding in the scriptures and He teaches our hearts and minds through it.

John 15:26 KJV — But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

His purpose is to teach us, exhort us, convict us of sin, and comfort us through God’s Word. (Acts 1:2, Romans 9:1, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 2 Timothy 1:14,. Hebrews 10:15, 1 John 5:7)

It is through the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we understand the gift of salvation in Jesus and are able to apply His truths to our lives.

Through His strength we are to witness to the goodness of God and the salvation of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

John 16:7 KJV — Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

When Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent to be with the body of Christ and it is through the Holy Spirit we are able to walk daily with Him.

It is through abiding in the Vine, our Lord Jesus Christ, that we experience the fruits of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23a NKJV — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

But the blessings of the Holy Spirit can be denied by resisting Him and choosing to reject the truth of the Gospel.

Acts 7:51 KJV — Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Those who have accepted the gift of salvation and received His Holy Spirit with joy must understand their behavior and choices directly determine the fruit in their lives.

The book of Acts is full of stories about people who allowed the Holy Spirit to rule and reign and how He changed the world through these people.

However, those who choose not to surrender themselves completely should understand what they are choosing as well.

Ephesians 4:29-30 NKJV — Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 NKJV — Do not quench the Spirit.

Choosing what we know to be counter to the truth of God’s Word grieves the Holy Spirit and restricts our souls from His fruit in our lives.

It is paramount that each of us daily submit to the truth of scripture and the lordship of Jesus Christ if we want to live in unison with the Comforter of our soul.

Philippians 4:7 KJV — And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our Comforter. Lord, please continue to hone my heart and mind, that I might not sin against You and grieve Your Spirit. Lord, help me to repent quickly when I’ve done wrong and return to Your ways and Your truth quickly. Lord, please continue to teach me how to surrender daily. To be slow to speak and quick to listen, to prayerfully consider my actions and attitudes and be teachable, please make me a soft clay, easily molded into Your image. Lord, thank You for Your truth. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your love, grace, mercy, faithfulness, and salvation. Lord, thank You for all Your wonderous works. I love You. Amen.

Dealing with disorder

Due to his rotating shift, yesterday was Handsome’s day off.

He worked all day long on projects, furniture leftover from our small business.

These were all items which required a lot work or repair or were missing pieces and take much longer than our normal items.

He finished up several and I’m so thankful.

Since he’s working through the weekend, and the following one is our sale, he really needed to get as many as possible completed.

His noon to midnight shift doesn’t allow for much time on working days.

I’m very thankful for all he did.

(God blessed him with finishing two tables and three beds!)

It is causing us to shift things around.

We currently have two dining room tables and chairs in the dining room.

By removing their leaves they fit snuggly.

Our kitchen nook also has a dining set in it.

So does the garage.

The table outside was one he got done yesterday. (It’s waiting for us to rearrange things again and find a place for it.)

To say we are dealing with some disorder is putting it mildly.

But it can’t be helped.

Until we finish all the furniture we plan on selling at the yard sale it’s going to be this way.

The fact that I’m packing boxes without an “out of the way” place to put them is another part of our disorder.

But it’s only temporary.

When we have our sale everything will either be sold or donated.

Then, I’ll have the garage to put boxes in out of the way.

While we live in the disorder and still do the tasks at hand, like homeschooling and dishes, I am finding it a challenge.

The mess weighs on me, it’s not peaceful nor comfortable.

Yet, it’s only a season.

A season I’m finding so many opportunities to pray for others.

Instead of complaining about all the stuff, I pray for the needy.

I ask God that these items we are moving on would bless others.

Also, I lift up those around the world who are suffering due to lack of necessities.

Rather than allow myself to feel stressed about the amount of “to do”s I am praying for wisdom on what to do today.

I don’t want to over do it again, it doesn’t honor God and it hinders my family.

When I begin to feel overwhelmed, I head for my room and pray for guidance.

Praying specifically for trust and rest in Him as I walk through this.

It’s a season and a good one.

Good, because it’s an opportunity to live in discomfort and still praise the Lord.

Psalm 7:17 KJV — I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Psalm 9:1 KJV — To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

Psalm 28:7 KJV — The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your faithfulness. Lord, thank You for this season of change. Lord, I know You are guiding us in all things. I know we can trust You through every circumstance. Lord, I thank You for the way You are walking us through this transition. Lord, You are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. May we never forget to praise You, in all things, through every season of our lives. For You alone are our God and our Savior. You are the Creator and Your Word is truth. Great are Your works and greatly to be praised! I love You, Lord. Amen.

…my soul doth wait,…

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, And in his word do I hope. Psalm 130:5 KJV

These words capture a Christ follower’s life in beautiful simplicity.

Instead of charging ahead in our own strength, our own ideas, our own opinions, we are to wait upon the Lord.

The perfect example would be a servant who stands near by, waiting for their Master’s voice, eagerly listening to anything said, watchful for direction or request.

It’s not a “burning time” kind of thing.

Indeed, it’s using every bit of time to serve the Master.

The servant is not thinking of oneself, not hindered by fear or doubt.

He or she is completely trusting the Master has everything required for the servant to complete those tasks given them.

And they eagerly wait upon their Master.

That is what waiting upon the Lord should be: a privilege and a joy.

Because the final line of this verse is why we can wait upon the Lord each day.

We have confidence His Word is true.

His promises are real.

He’s reward to the good and faithful servant is coming.

Colossians 3:24 NKJV — knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

July 27

Psalm 100:1-5 NKJV — A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for another beautiful day. Thank You for life, the breath in my lungs, the beating of my heart, the enduring love of Your sacrifice. Thank You for salvation. Lord, thank You for Your provision, our daily bread, Your Word that holds the truths of life. Please continue to open my mind and heart to learning. Please hold me accountable to Your Word. Lord, where I have believed a lie or misunderstood a truth, please correct that in me. Please keep me from the snares of the enemy and teach me how to walk forward into Your truth. Lord, please help me walk in Your ways. Lord, please place a watch over my lips, a guard over my mind, and help me not to look at worthless things, that I might not sin against You. I love You. Thank You for first loving me. Amen.

Sing!

Psalm 118:1 NKJV — Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Is there anything more worthy of our praise than God?

Can we truly find anything more amazing than the salvation we have through Jesus Christ?

The very truth of God’s mercy and grace should cause our hearts to sing forth His praises daily.

What joy there is when one’s soul is safe in God!

16 But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.
Psalms 59:16 NKJV

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your mercy. What a wonderful blessings we have from Your goodness, mercy, and grace. Lord, no matter our circumstances, I humbly request that You help us to keep our eyes upon You. That we never lose sight of the gift of Your mercy. Lord, help us to worship You in spirit and in truth, recalling all Your wonderous works. Thank You, Jesus. May the whole Earth be filled with the knowledge of Your glory! Amen.

Memorial Day

As the daughter of a man who did twenty years in the Army, I can truly say, “Thank you.” to those who lost a loved one in the defense of our nation.

As the cousin of a man who died when his fighter jet went down in Vietnam, I can say, “May God bless you.” to his sisters who have lived long past that loss.

As the daughter-in-law to a man who lost his best friend and cousin on the field in Vietnam, I can say, “I’m praying for you.” to find complete healing from the past.

As the friend of a young man currently serving overseas and the neighbor of a lady who is living as a single mom while her husband is deployed I can say, “Thank you so much for your service.”

As a citizen of the United States of America, I’ve seen things I never wanted to and experienced extreme grief over the tragedies of our history.

Despite those things I still feel so blessed to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and I can say,

“Let us each one remember the cost of freedom from the foundation of this incredible nation until now.”

“Let us remember those who died while still supporting those who are serving.”

“Let us look to the Lord for the future of our families, our neighbors, and our nation.”

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for all the blessings I have received by being a citizen of the U.S.A. Thank You for the men and women who gave their lives to defend our rights, our homes, and our country. Lord, please help us to be focused upon You and Your Word, that we might remember we are children of God and walk in Your ways. Lord, please help those who find this a painful holiday, ripe with grief and loss. Lord, please continue to provide and support those who are currently serving. Let them find their strength in You. Lord, please help us to love and serve others as You did while You walked this earth. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your blessing. God please bless America with repentance, revival, and truth. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.