He is willing
Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. Luke 5:13
For many years, I knew in my heart that God could do anything, but I wasn’t convinced that He would. I didn’t know if He would help me out of my struggles just because I asked Him and I didn’t know if He would heal me when I was sick, just because I went to Him in prayer. I knew that God was good and did good, I just didn’t know if He was willing to do good in my circumstances.
Then, one day I came across this passage in Luke 5 where a man with leprosy said to Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, (that is to say if it is your will?) You can make me clean.” Jesus’ response was: “I am willing” which is to say it was His will for the leprous man to be healed. In the next section of this passage, a group of people brought a paralytic man to Jesus, and He healed him too. In fact, everyone that came to Jesus during His life here on earth, received what they came for.
It makes sense too. As I think back to the problems and pains that I took to Him in my past, He delivered me out of all of them. Now I know that what ever I take to Him in prayer, He is working on. I know this because He has never let me down in the past and He has given me promises in His Word. Below is a short list of scriptures to turn to if you have any doubts:
I will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
All who come to Him, He will not cast out. (John 6:37)
All God’s promises are Yes and Amen. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Out of all my trouble, He delivered me. (2 Timothy 3:11)
The Lord is not slack concerning His promises. (2 Peter 3:9)
This is just a short list, but you can find your own promises in the scripture. Just be on the look out as you read each day. He rescued us from sin and fear, and He will continue to rescue us in whatever we face each day. The one stipulation seems to be you have to come to Him and ask Him to take care of it. Many people want to blame God for the circumstances in the world and their life, but never spend a minute of time talking to Him and putting the problems in His hands. We must take it to the Lord and give it over to His care.
Today I want to encourage you in whatever you are up against in life. Take time to bring it to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to see you through and heal your pain. Remember the things He has brought you through in the past and most of all, know that He is our good, good Father and wants good for your life! He won’t turn you away and He will not turn away from you. Let the love of God rescue you today and receive the good plans He has designed for your life in this world.
Today’s scripture reading: Luke 5:12-26
12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.
14 And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.
19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
The Daily Dose 