Saturday, August 30, 2008

Faith Walking

by Donna L. Watkins

Do you remember the story of the ten lepers that Jesus healed? Luke 17:11-19 tells it:

© 2008 Donna L. Watkins - Female Great Curassow
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 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.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him -- and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

How often Jesus said "YOUR faith" made you whole or well, or "only believe" and what you want will happen! It shows us that walking in faith is a key to our success, whether in healing or any other avenue of life that appears to be a challenge. Got a dream you want to fulfill? Only believe! Want a retreat in the mountains? Only believe! Will you use these things to honor and glorify God? Of course you will. When you've had enough faith to bring into your life all that God promises for having that faith ... you will glorify God with your abundance, unless you allow pride to enter in and think that it's only you that achieved it.

Back to the ten lepers ... lepers were rejected by society and isolated to fellowship only with other lepers. I'm sure that they felt rejected by God also, so when Jesus approached they probably did not have much hope, so they "stood at a distance and called out" to Jesus, not being acceptable for the crowds. But Jesus told them to go "show yourselves to the priests." That was a necessary step to returning to society.

The Bible says, "as they went, they were cleansed" and one of the ten returned to glorify and give thanks to God. It was a Samaritan, a race not well accepted by the Jews. How often do you see somebody blessed by God that isn't accepted as a Christian? Does it make you angry and envious? God's laws work for the saved and the unsaved ... the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)

It appears that the law of faith operates no matter whether one is a Christian or not. Jesus told this one leper that returned to "rise and go; your faith has made you well." What does that say about the other nine? Jesus healed them also and it appears they all needed to put faith into His words and believe that what He said was true. They faith walked towards the temple and were healed.

Are you focusing on faith walking? Sometimes it's a step-by-step process. Healing can come in layers. It would be much more dramatic and exciting to have God just zap you well, wealthy and happy, but it was the walking with faith added that cleansed the lepers and it will be the walking in faith that cleanses our lives of the sin that creates disease and misery in our lives. So keep walking! And don't forget to add praise and thanksgiving when you see results.

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