Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Have you ever made a mistake that was so large that it made you feel like a social outcast? Maybe it wasn’t on such a grand scale as that, but maybe it was more like a disappointment to your family. In times such as these, we can feel totally helpless, hopeless, and alone. The feeling of hopelessness can be crippling, rendering any of us unable to know how to move beyond whatever the situation. But then there’s faith. Faith, not only that God can, but that He will meet us in this difficult place and restore our hope for a future.

In Matthew 8, Jesus is traveling around the synagogues, teaching, preaching, and healing the sick. It was in the first four verses of Matthew 8 that Jesus encountered the leper. A leper was considered dead among the living due to the unclean nature of the disease. Even still… The leper came to Jesus in his unclean state, worshiping and believing that Jesus was able to do the impossible. He acknowledged Jesus’s power and paid proper respect addressing Him as Lord. His demonstration of humility and faith in the ability of Jesus to heal him was all that was needed for Jesus to act on his behalf. Jesus touched him and said, “I am willing, be made clean.”

I am sure it had been many years since the leper had experienced the physical touch of another human, but to be touched by Jesus and healed must have been nothing short of amazing.

This reminds me so much of how we are to come to the Lord for salvation. We come to him knowing we are unclean. We believe He has the power to cleanse us… and we ask Him to come into our hearts. Coming to Him believing in faith that He will forgive us and make us clean is all that it takes to receive the eternal gift of salvation.

Reflection:

• Examine your heart today and identify any obstacles that might distance you from true fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Ask God to help you and forgive you for your sins.
• Prayer: Dear God, thank You for the example of the leper in today’s scripture. Lord, we sometimes fail to realize how easy it is to come to you with every need. We thank You for the reminder that all we have to do is ask to believe and You will heal us from all unrighteousness. Amen.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Matthew 8

Author: Anna Overstreet

Matthew 8 contains one of the most famous Bible stories of all time. Verses 23-27 describe what happened to Jesus and His disciples when they got caught in a violent storm while they were sailing on the sea. As you can imagine, the disciples were terrified and cried out to Jesus for help. Jesus was actually sleeping during the storm! Talk about faith! While I doubt many of you have been caught in a raging storm in the middle of stormy seas, I know everyone has had a moment where they were very scared! During those times, do you know what you can do? Exactly as the disciples did you can cry out to God for help. He will answer your cry for help every single time! Think about times in your life that have been scary but God calmed “your storm” after you prayed to Him. My older cousin once told me that if I was ever too scared to pray, to just say the name “Jesus” over and over out loud until I felt His peace and presence calm me. I can’t tell you how many times I have done this since - both as a child and as an adult! Whether it was a bad thunderstorm, being scared of the dark, or getting bad news, crying out to God always calms my fearful heart.

• Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that we can call upon You at any time and any place! Just saying Your name brings peace and calmness to a scary situation when spoken out loud. Thank You for being our solid rock in every storm of life. We trust and believe in You. Amen.