Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s look at God wanting us to show His work.

Today’s scripture, Matthew 8:2‭-‬4 (ERV) says…
Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, “Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.” Jesus touched the man. He said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed.”

Consider…
Back in yesteryear I remember my math and accounting teachers telling me to show my work on exams. Showing my work allowed them to evaluate how well I understood the concept they were teaching.

In today’s scripture, we see Jesus telling a man that He healed from leprosy to show himself to priest, to be declared clean, and SHOW everyone that he was healed.

Although this man being healed proved Jesus was Jehovah Rapha, there’s more that He showed about who He was, with this miracle. Let’s examine the details and see.

First, notice the lepor recognized and reverenced Jesus. The scripture says the man bowed down and said…
“Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.”

Do you remember what Jesus taught us to say to begin the Lord’s Prayer?
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6:9‭-‬10 KJV

In these verses Jesus taught us that in our prayers, we must acknowledge…

• Our relationship with God: Our Father
• The Holiness of God: Hallowed be thy name
• The Sovereignty of God: Thy KINGDOM come
• And the Will of God: Thy Will be done

In today’s scripture, we see this man bow before Jesus and said “Lord”. When the man bowed and addressed Jesus reverently, he acknowledged…

• Jesus as his Lord
• Jesus is Holy

When you come to Jesus, do your actions and words acknowledge the same?

Next, we see the man acknowledge the Sovereignty and Will of Jesus. Look at his acknowledging words…
“you have the power to heal me if you want.”

Take note, the man didn’t beg Jesus to heal him, he simply acknowledged his Sovereign Lord could do whatever He wants to do!

Have you ever told Jesus, that you know He’s able to do whatever He wants in your life? That’s transformational, because it tells Jesus…

• I know You
• I trust You
• I defer to You

This also reminds me of the three Hebrew Boys and the fiery furnace. Recall they said…
our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. – Daniel 3:17‭-‬18 KJV

Notice, they didn’t try to barter with God. You know how we do…”Lord if you do this, than I’ll do that.” No, these boys simply acknowledged God is able to do what He wants to do.

It’s a wonderful thing to acknowledge that God is able, just remember to include His sovereignty in that acknowledgement. God is able to do whatever He wants to do.

Pivoting from this man showing us how to approach and acknowledge Jesus, we see Jesus’ response. The scripture simply says…
Jesus touched the man.

Stop right there! When we come to Jesus correct, His response is to touch us.

Do you remember Peter walking on the water, by faith, to Jesus? When his faith wavered and he began to drown, Jesus didn’t rebuke him, rather He reached down and touched him and picked him up.

In today’s scripture, we don’t see where the man moved from his bowed down position, but we do read that Jesus touched him. James 4:10 (KJV) tells us to…
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

I’ve heard too many people tell God what He must do, because He promised. However, I believe God only responds to us humbly acknowledging that He can do what He wants. I encourage us to be mindful when we pray to watch our tone. I say that because James 4:6 (NLT) says…
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Rather than proudly talking to God face to face, try humbly bowing before Him at His throne of grace. God reaches down, not out.

After Jesus touched, He said…
“I want to heal you. Be healed!”

That’s powerful! When our desires align with God’s will, we are healed. That suggests we may want to make sure we’re praying for His will to be done in our lives.

Sometimes we forget, Jesus already knows that we want to be healed, it’s why we came to Him in first place. However, what He’s waiting to see is our faith work which shows we know that He knows what’s best for us. Thus, when we pray, “I know you are able if you want to”, we are showing Him we know that “You Lord, want what’s best for me, let that be done.”

Pray, believing Jesus wants what’s best for you, and that includes healing your mind, body and soul.

The Holy Spirit is telling me to wrap it up, so I will close with the interesting instructions Jesus gave the healed man, and us…
“Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed.”

Jesus said, don’t brag on what I’ve done in your life, show my work. Ephesians 4:21-32 emphasizes this point by telling us to live different since we’re saved.

Today the Holy Spirit wants us to understand that God wants to show His work in and through us. But that requires our submission to His will being done in our lives.

Show God’s work by telling Him, and everyone ‘My Life Is A Testimony’. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Today’s song is…
My Life (Is A Testimony)

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)