As HE entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices calling out, “JESUS, MASTER, have mercy on us!” Luke 17:12-13 The Message
They were the outcasts of society.
Man’s fear robbed them of friendship….
Love….
Normalcy….
Ten lepers taking comfort in each other’s flesh rotting company.
This was their way of life….
Their fate…..
Until the ONE who could change it all walked into their village.
They had heard miraculous stories…
Their miserable existence made them hope.
They wanted something more than the woeful life they were living.
How similar we are to these 10 lepers?
We live in a constant state of rotten, murky messes.
We long for just a little relief.
And sometimes our grim outlook keeps us at a distance from our “JESUS, MASTER”……
Just like the leper’s disease kept them at a distance….
Our distance can be the sin we hide.…
Or the despair we feel..…
Or our unbelief.
We pray and ask for a change….
Some days we pray a little harder because we feel a little bit stronger….
Then tomorrow we wrestle with doubt….almost to the point of giving up.
Some days we are convinced our situation will never change…..
And many will not….sickness….death….loss.
Do we let the ache in our soul defeat and keep us at a distance from the Master?
It’s all the more important we keep calling out to HIM….
And keep hoping with all hope that today is the day HE will answer back.
And make no mistake….
HE will answer…….
If we don’t stop calling out to HIM.
HE will answer in the way best….
This THANKSGIVING your circumstances may be far from celebratory…..
But JESUS, MASTER is so worthy of celebration.
HE deserves our THANKSGIVING even though our lives are imperfect.
Because in GOD’S economy….
Nothing is wasted…the tears….the pain….the hardships.
It will all result to a greater good in your life…..
So thank HIM even when you don’t feel it.
The next verse of the story in Luke gives us reason to keep calling out to HIM…..
“Taking a good look at them, HE said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” They went and while still on their way, became clean.” Luke 17:14 The Message
While on their way…they became clean….
HE answered them.
And HE will answer you friend.
Nothing stays the same….
This too shall pass….
The only constant in this life is JESUS, MASTER.
HE never changes.
Isn’t HE alone reason enough to be thankful?
Keep calling out friend…..
Keep giving HIM thanks even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances….
HE will answer…..
MEL
Meditate on JESUS
To draw closer to the giver click on this link Close your eyes. Listen and absorb the words as though they are coming straight from your heart….and calling out to HIM.
