Matthew 8.9-10

Matt 8:9-10 “For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go, and he goes, and to another, “Come, and he comes, and to my servant, “Do this, and he does it”. When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

The Holy Spirit really spoke to me as I read the previous verses for more context. In verse 8 the Centurion asked Jesus to just “say the Word” and his servant would be healed. His faith was rooted in the power of God’s Word. He upheld the words that came out of Jesus’ mouth and knew that He held all authority in His words. Jesus was the Word, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among men.The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) There are so many times where I have dragged my weary heart and body to God’s Word and been healed, strengthened and restored by His living Words. The Word from God has all authority and power. I literally have the Words of the Living God and they are supernatural. I sit in classes where God’s Word is supernaturally taught by the Holy Spirit. I am in His living Word everyday but I fear the day when It becomes another book or story to me. May that never be so. May the Holy Spirit continue to open my eyes to the wonder in His law and may I always hold His Word at great reverence. God’s Word has been my friend, my counselor, my direction, my comfort and my daily bread. I trust that it will remain so all of my days.

In this story I see the tender nature of Jesus. He cares for the physically paralyzed but also the emotionally and spiritually paralyzed. Jesus the Word in flesh brigs life to the paralyzed with one single Word. God’s living Word brings healing and restoration to any emotional or physical infirmity with just one word. Nothing is too big or small for the care and love that is found in His Words. May I bring my fragments and brokenness and lay them at His feet, feasting on His Words which hold life and death in their hands. They hold the power to redeem and set free by the power of the Spirit. This story shows me to bring the sick to the living Word. Bring the hurting, the broken and the paralyzed to the healing that’s found in God’s Word. When we walk in reverence and faith to His Word, Jesus is marveled. When we have faith in the power of His Word, it touches His heart. Will we be a generation that takes Him at His Word and believes it? Will I bring my brokenness to His Word to be healed? May I jump fully into the streams of His abundant Living Water. May I bring as many broken, sick and hurting people as I can, to the streams of Living Water with me.

Application: Instead of dwelling in my emotional and spiritual paralysis and trying to hold down the fort, I want to bring all of my brokenness and infirmities to His healing Word. Today, every time I start to dwell in thoughts that are not of Him, I will run to God’s Word instead. I will ask Alicia to keep me accountable today.