IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE

To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.

Matthew 8 (New American Standard Bible) ¹When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.  ²And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  ³Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  ⁴And Jesus said to him, ” See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Like me, have you heard speculation as to why JESUS said to the Leper: “See that you tell no one;” ?  I’ve heard some say that JESUS told him to tell no one because it was not time for JESUS’ fame to spread.  And since hearing that it’s just sit there on the wall of my brain, neither being fully rejected or fully accepted.

But today I think another reason has formed and I’m way inclined toward it.

In my opinion, JESUS was not telling the leper, ‘Shhh, be quiet about what I’ve done for you’.   Rather, He was saying , ‘don’t get side-tracked now.  The first order of business for you so you can operate in this society here is for you to go straightaway to the Priest; present your offering and be declared clean according to the steps I gave Moses many, many centuries ago.  Then you will be free to move about and tell your story. Now, go make haste.’

I see a similar situation with Mary after His Resurrection found in John 20:17.   I do not for one moment think that JESUS was saying ‘Don’t touch Me, Mary.  Don’t touch Me’ like He all of a sudden had become untouchable to her.  For crying out loud – He had been her dearest Friend, she saw Him murdered and now He was alive and she was not suppose to touch Him! Get real!!!

Let me give you a KT paraphrase.  ‘Mary, you delight Me so! Your love for Me thrills Me and I understand. Right now you don’t want Me to ever be out of your sight again; but, Sweet Girl, we both have jobs to do.  I still have to go to Our Father and you have people to tell.  We will have eternity together, I promise!  But for now, you have to let Me go.  You have to let Me go see ABBA and you have to start telling the world that I’m alive.  I love you, Mary, and you don’t have to worry.  I will never leave you.  Even when you cannot physically see Me I will still be with you.  I promise.  Now go.  I’ll see you again before I leave for Heaven.  I promise.  Now go. I’ll see you soon.’

Now here’s the short version but  I am POSITIVE she understood every word!

John 20: (New American Standard Bible) ¹⁷Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'”

So what’s my point today?  I’m not sure; other than I just LIKE it! What have you gotten from it?

O, LORD, How majestic is Your Name!!  I know the TEXT does not say what my paraphrase says but I believe with all my heart You are that kind and gentle and loving and wonderful and even more so.  I would so love for You to show me that scene one day when I get to Heaven with You.  I am longing for the day when I can see You with eyes like Mary did and the Leper and all the others who loved You and love You still.  I pray You will take this ‘light’ devotion and minister it to the hearts of our IDOKs and Readers and that they will just delight themselves in You as they read.  I love You and thank You for allowing me this joy and privilege.

You know the concerns on our hearts for our IDOK Troops, for our list of Names for Prayer and other matters.  I would think that not one soul who reads this lesson would not have cares in the secret corners of their hearts that they want You to tend to and I join with them now lifting them to You for You to not only look into but make Your very own and handle as You will for them.  We love You, ABBA, in the Name of Your Son and our Savior JESUS CHRIST the RIGHTEOUS.  Amen and amen.