‘Ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”’ (v.12-15 NLT). There’s a spiritual parallel between leprosy and the problems of life; both can end up overwhelming us. Is that what’s happening to you today? If it is, here’s some Bible-based advice:

1) Take your problem to Jesus. He can work miracles of restoration and give you back your peace and joy. Cry out to Him if you have to. Don’t worry about how you sound; God responds to desperate prayers from an overwhelmed heart: ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV).

2) Whatever He tells you, do it! Don’t set conditions or boundaries for God, and don’t look for an identical experience to somebody else – we’re all on unique journeys. Jesus told these ten lepers to go and show themselves to the priests. So they did! They had enough faith in Jesus to immediately follow His instructions without needing to ask why.

3) Be prepared to walk it out. ‘And as they went, they were cleansed.’ Sometimes when God gives you the answer, you have to walk it out in faith, each step bringing you closer to restoration. But nothing happens until you take that first step.

4) Don’t forget to thank Him. Only one of the ten lepers returned to say thank you, and Jesus noticed it. He still does! You can go to Him with confidence for your next answer when you remember to give Him thanks for your last one.

What Now?

Looking at the four points in today’s reading, what stage are you at right now? Do you need to share a problem with Jesus? Has He given you advice, but you still need to act on it? Are you working towards a solution in faith? Or do you need to go back and thank Him for His last answer?