You have prayed and prayed for a breakthrough. On your face, you have pleaded with God to give you strength, faith and courage to stand and fight instead of turn tail and run. You have finally battled through addiction, abandonment, gossip, disease or failure. What then is your response?
O Lord, in your strength the king (your name here) rejoices, and in your salvation he (I) greatly exult! You have given me my heart's desire and have not withheld the request of my lips. For you met me with rich blessings. You set a crown of fine gold upon my head. I asked life of you and you gave it to me, length of days forever and forever. (vs. 1-4)
This always makes me want to dance. In fact, wait a minute because I am going to get up and dance right now!
Okay, I'm back. Remember the ten lepers that Jesus healed? Outcasts because of their dread disease, the ten men were standing at a distance when Jesus passed by them on His way to Jerusalem through Samaria and Galilee. Probably Samaritans, they were doubly dirty to the Jewish people in the entourage of disciples who followed Jesus from place to place. Can you imagine the depth of their need? Filthy and homeless, missing limbs perhaps, they call out to the One Who might be able to end this war with their bodies.
"Jesus, have mercy on us!!" they cried. All ten of them yelling at the Christ to fix them. Afraid to come close lest they be stoned for the intrusion of pariah on pristineness. No one would touch them, look at them, love them much less hear them. Really hear them. Some in the crowd probably told them to shut up. Who were they to request anything of this Jesus?
But God in the flesh looked over at these men. He saw them. Their need. Their hearts.
"Go! Show yourselves to the priests!" He yelled back. Really? You did not show yourself to the priest if you were unclean. You had to be healed of leprosy in order to do that.
So, they turned and ran, fast as they could, to the nearest synagogue and on their way there, the leprosy left them. Can you imagine? (I hope so, for you have no doubt seen your Savior do remarkable things with your life because He heard you.) Flabbergasted, each leper checked out his arms and legs, belly and toes! Nothing! No trace of the disease that had separated them from all of normal life. Would you not jump up and down and run to kiss Jesus all over His bearded face!
You think? Only one did. Only one thought to return to Jesus and thank Him, face down, kissing not His face but His feet. A Samaritan. Perhaps he had joy on joy, as Jews did not have anything to do with the half-Jew Samaritans. Were the other nine men Jewish? It seems like it, for Jesus asked: "Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give thanks except a foreigner?"
"Rise and go your way for your faith has made you whole," said Jesus to the man at His feet.
I have to wonder as Jesus walked on toward Jerusalem if His heart didn't ache a little. Wouldn't He have loved to rejoice with all those He had healed? Dance with them in their near hysteria? Wouldn't His heart have been buoyed by seeing those for whom He had come marvel in their wonder and excitement, acknowledging that it was worth it for Him to leave heaven so they could partake of the miraculous hand of God in their lives? The ten robbed Jesus of that moment of singing over them with joy! Of experiencing with them the body cleansing which could have also cleansed their souls.
Thank Him today with all your heart! Bless HIS heart! He has been strong in battle with you! He is the One Who saved you from the enemy that was too strong for you. What would you have given to the woman in actual battle beside you who took your bullet? Oh...yeah..by the way, thanks. NO!! You would kiss her face, raise her kids, do her dishes and love her forever for that sacrifice! Your Jesus is no less real and the victory in your life no less a sacrifice! Let Him have the joy of hearing your gratitude and dancing about in your joy!
The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love. He will exult over you with loud singing!! (Zephaniah 3:17)
O Lord, in your strength the king (your name here) rejoices, and in your salvation he (I) greatly exult! You have given me my heart's desire and have not withheld the request of my lips. For you met me with rich blessings. You set a crown of fine gold upon my head. I asked life of you and you gave it to me, length of days forever and forever. (vs. 1-4)
This always makes me want to dance. In fact, wait a minute because I am going to get up and dance right now!
Okay, I'm back. Remember the ten lepers that Jesus healed? Outcasts because of their dread disease, the ten men were standing at a distance when Jesus passed by them on His way to Jerusalem through Samaria and Galilee. Probably Samaritans, they were doubly dirty to the Jewish people in the entourage of disciples who followed Jesus from place to place. Can you imagine the depth of their need? Filthy and homeless, missing limbs perhaps, they call out to the One Who might be able to end this war with their bodies.
"Jesus, have mercy on us!!" they cried. All ten of them yelling at the Christ to fix them. Afraid to come close lest they be stoned for the intrusion of pariah on pristineness. No one would touch them, look at them, love them much less hear them. Really hear them. Some in the crowd probably told them to shut up. Who were they to request anything of this Jesus?
But God in the flesh looked over at these men. He saw them. Their need. Their hearts.
"Go! Show yourselves to the priests!" He yelled back. Really? You did not show yourself to the priest if you were unclean. You had to be healed of leprosy in order to do that.
So, they turned and ran, fast as they could, to the nearest synagogue and on their way there, the leprosy left them. Can you imagine? (I hope so, for you have no doubt seen your Savior do remarkable things with your life because He heard you.) Flabbergasted, each leper checked out his arms and legs, belly and toes! Nothing! No trace of the disease that had separated them from all of normal life. Would you not jump up and down and run to kiss Jesus all over His bearded face!
You think? Only one did. Only one thought to return to Jesus and thank Him, face down, kissing not His face but His feet. A Samaritan. Perhaps he had joy on joy, as Jews did not have anything to do with the half-Jew Samaritans. Were the other nine men Jewish? It seems like it, for Jesus asked: "Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give thanks except a foreigner?"
"Rise and go your way for your faith has made you whole," said Jesus to the man at His feet.
I have to wonder as Jesus walked on toward Jerusalem if His heart didn't ache a little. Wouldn't He have loved to rejoice with all those He had healed? Dance with them in their near hysteria? Wouldn't His heart have been buoyed by seeing those for whom He had come marvel in their wonder and excitement, acknowledging that it was worth it for Him to leave heaven so they could partake of the miraculous hand of God in their lives? The ten robbed Jesus of that moment of singing over them with joy! Of experiencing with them the body cleansing which could have also cleansed their souls.
Thank Him today with all your heart! Bless HIS heart! He has been strong in battle with you! He is the One Who saved you from the enemy that was too strong for you. What would you have given to the woman in actual battle beside you who took your bullet? Oh...yeah..by the way, thanks. NO!! You would kiss her face, raise her kids, do her dishes and love her forever for that sacrifice! Your Jesus is no less real and the victory in your life no less a sacrifice! Let Him have the joy of hearing your gratitude and dancing about in your joy!
The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love. He will exult over you with loud singing!! (Zephaniah 3:17)
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