Are You a Risk Taker?

~~~ 1 John 5:5-13 ~~~ Psalm 147 ~~~ Luke 5:12-16 ~~~

...the leprosy left him immediately.... 
Then Jesus gave these orders to the man.
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 

When we are healed by God it is not just personal and private.
When God heals it benefits the community at large.
When God heals you are restored
 to the community...you are made whole again.
When God heals you can once again serve in the community.

When God heals and it is seen by the others they
too are touched by this divine intervention.

We all can benefit from having our faith strengthened;
when we witness someone being healed
in mind, body, or soul
we come to believe it can also be true for ourselves.

The leper had faith, that is why he presented himself before Jesus.

What we sometimes overlook is how
 what happens to us affects those around us.

This is not to say that we should go about
 bragging or boasting about God's workings in our life.

We know God can work all things for good.
Being cured of an illness physical or otherwise
 is helping to spread the word about God.

If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater. 

The leper was cured because in the depth of his faith
he believed there was at least a chance it could happen.
What did he have to lose?
If said nothing his life would remain the same.
So he took the chance and spoke to Jesus of his desire to be healed.

We must be the same kind of risk takers.
When have you gambled with asking God for healing?

I am using the word gamble here because it is a chance you are taking.
Not a chance that God will hear your plea,
but a chance that he could say...not yet...or no.

Sometimes we do not ask because
 we are not willing to risk hearing 'no'.

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.

Jesus cured every disease among the people...
it does not matter what the symptoms.
It does not matter how long you have been ill.
It does not matter how complicated the disease has become.

Perhaps the greatest disease Jesus cured was the disease of doubt.
With every miracle he performed,
Jesus cured the disease of doubt.
The disease of doubt keeps us from moving forward
when we most need to...
when we are sick.

The next time you find yourself holding on to doubt
give it to God...place it in his hands.

Jesus continues to cure every disease.
Believe and you will be healed.

God has his way of healing just for you.
Blessed with the example of the leper,
 who released his doubt
and took the risk.

~~~Peace~~~