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THE HEALING OF THE TEN LEPERS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Luke 17:11-19

Psalm 130:1-8

 

How does your

gratitude compare?

 

THE HEALING OF THE TEN LEPERS
 
How earnestly men can cry for help when they feel their need of it (Luke 17:13)! It is difficult to conceive of any condition more thoroughly miserable than that of men afflicted with leprosy. They were cast out from society. They were cut off from all communion with their fellows. The lepers in this passage were aware of their wretchedness. They stood afar off, but they did not stand idly by doing nothing. They felt acutely the deplorable state of their bodies. They found words to express their feelings. They cried earnestly for relief when a chance of relief appeared in sight. Their conduct throws much light on prayer.
 
How is it that many never pray at all? Or are content to repeat a form of words but never pray with their hearts? How is it that dying men, with souls to be lost or saved, can know so little of real, hearty, business-like prayer? The answer to these questions is short and simple. The bulk of mankind has no sense of sin. They do not feel their spiritual disease, are not conscious that they are lost and guilty and hanging over the brink of hell. When a man finds out his soul’s ailment he soon learns to pray. Like the lepers, he finds words to express his needs.
 
How is it that many true believers often pray so coldly? What is the reason that their prayers are so feeble, wandering and lukewarm? The answer once more is very plain. Their sense of need is not as deep as it ought to be. They are not truly alive to their own weakness and helplessness and so they do not cry fervently for mercy and grace. Let us remember these things.
 
Help meets men in the path of obedience (Luke 17:14). Our Lord neither touched them nor prescribed means. Yet healing power accompanied the words He spoke. Relief met the afflicted company as soon as they obeyed His command. Surely this teaches us the wisdom of simple, childlike obedience to every word which comes from the mouth of Christ. It does not become us to stand still, reason and doubt when our Master’s commands are plain and unmistakable (John 7:17).
 
THOUGHT: “I need Thee every hour.” (Hawks)

PRAYER: Father, help me to truly see my need for Thee.

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