A Daily Devotional with Pastor Doug Crouse February 27, 2018

He Is Willing Scripture Reading – Mark 1:40-41 (NLT) “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. 'If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,' he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be healed." 

If you wonder in your heart and mind what heaven may be like, take a good look at the Garden of Eden, at least in relation to the perfection and eternal health of Adam and Eve, and the open relationship that they enjoyed with the Father in the cool of the day. Or look conversely at the last book of the Bible chapter 21 the first four verses.

For there was no crying, sorrow, pain, sickness or even death in that creation of our Holy God. And so as Jesus meets all of these things coming to bring us salvation - we see that He is moved with compassion, which I have best heard described as, 'your pain in my heart', and tells this leper - and says to each one of us that, 'He Is Willing', to meet our every need because of His great compassion and kindness.

And I love exactly how Jesus performed this healing to the one who would have to cry out.... 'unclean, unclean', in the presence of any not effected by his disease. While he could have spoken this disease away, or asked the leper to go wash in a pool and be cleansed, He did not. Rather Jesus reached out and touched the man - what an experience that must have been for this 'untouchable' and then the healing also!

And so friends even concerning the leprosy of sin that Jesus has healed may we too sing: 'He touched me, Oh, He touched me, and O the joy that filled my soul...

'And may we from His touch also be filled with His compassion reaching out and touching those deemed untouchable by society, with the grace we have received. 

Prayer Heavenly Father, I thank-You for touching me and healing my sin disease, and that You are willing to pour continual healing into my life, spirit, soul and body. Holy Spirit use me to touch others today I pray with the love of Jesus my Lord.  

Memory Verse:  1 John 1:9 NLT “But if we ________ our _____ to him he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”