"I Am Willing. Be Clean!"

Luke 5: 12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Jesus responded to the lepers request by telling him, "I am willing. Be clean!"

How very often have I called on the Lord to fix me and discovered in the end that I was the one who wasn't willing to be clean. I have always had a desire for God to strike me righteous. To be made pure and clean by the hand of God with no effort on my part. I want it fast, cheap and now! In my experience however, He doesn't deal with me that way. God seems to want me to come to Him with my problems and to return to Him often for direction. He leads me to places where I have to choose between His higher way and a lesser route. Unfortunately the lesser route often seems quicker, easier and more attractive. I wish I could say I always chose what I knew to be His way but that simply wouldn't be true. Wanting to be well isn't enough. Our Lord offered the leper grace and healing and He offers us this same gift each day. We must be willing to follow Him in the way of freedom however. He promised us that it would cost us much. The reward, I find more and more, is His unspeakable joy.

Father God, Please give me the courage and will to follow where you lead me. Amen.