June 27, 2022
The Master’s Touch
Suzanne Eller
Today’s Truth
Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared
Matthew 8:1b-2 (NLT).
Friend to Friend
I met an old friend from school days that I hadn’t seen for years. She invited me to join her and her husband for dinner. For the next hour, we sat around the table enjoying enchiladas and old memories.
At one point, she told her husband a story from our days in school. As she described the incident, it felt odd. The girl she described in the story was shy. She was hurting. She was angry. It felt like she was talking about someone else.
And she was.
God had healed my heart long ago. I was no longer that shy, angry, hurting girl. I was a confident, whole woman who knew the love of a Savior. When she finished her story, I was able to bridge the gap between the past and the present. I shared the miracles God had performed over the years.
In Matthew 8, a man in need of a miracle approaches Jesus.
He’s a leper. He is used to calling out his condition as he encounters people. He is accustomed to people racing to the other side of the road to avoid him. By calling out to Jesus, he’s taking a huge risk and breaking all the cultural rules.
“Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. ‘Lord,’ the man said, ‘if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.’ Jesus reached out and touched him. ’I am willing,’ he said. ’Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared” Matthew 8:1b-2 (NLT).
The leper wouldn’t have expected Jesus to physically touch him; he’s considered unclean. But Jesus not only places His hands on the leper, the moment He does the man’s leprosy disappears.
His whole life changes in an instant.
I can only imagine the surprise on his family’s face when he races to see them. I can only imagine him sitting with friends, once estranged by his condition, as he invites them to see the miracle for themselves.
I felt the same as I sat with my old friends. While the leper’s healing was instantaneous, my miracle came over time, layer by layer. As I drove home, tears washed over my cheeks. I couldn’t help but thank Jesus for His touch on my life. His touch worked out knots and kinks of anger that used to rule me. His touch helped me separate my identity from those who had hurt my heart. His touch helped me discover who I was always meant to be.
Do you long for the Master’s touch? That touch is just as healing today. You may feel that your wound is too big. It may feel risky to expose those wounds so carefully hidden, or to show them to Jesus when others run from them.
Be healed.
This isn’t a command to do it on your own, but a call for you to come near.
You draw near. He welcomes you. Healing begins. And whether your miracle is instantaneous or comes one layer at a time, both are miraculous – all because of the Master’s touch.
Let’s Pray
Savior, there is no wound too big, no wound too deeply hidden, that You aren’t already aware of in my life. You see me. You hear my cry. You touch those hurting places and I am made whole because of Your mercy. Thank You for Your touch on my life, In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
In what ways do you long for the Master’s touch? Share that with your Savior today.
If you have been the recipient of a miracle, share your story with someone who needs to hear it today.
More from the Girlfriends
Read and/or download the first chapter of The Mended Heart here. (It’s free!)
© 2022 by Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.
Originally published Monday, 27 June 2022.
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