The Touch of Hope

"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.'" 
Mark 1:40 (NIV)

Have you ever felt so broken that you wondered if God really wants to heal you?

In the Bible, a leper comes to Jesus with a question that reveals his deepest fear. He doesn't ask, "Can you heal me?" He knows Jesus has the power. Instead, he asks, "Are you willing?" After nine years of rotting flesh, missing fingers, and people shouting "Unclean!" wherever he goes, he wonders if he's worthy of God's attention.

The disease has run its course completely. For nearly a decade, he hasn't heard one friendly voice, felt one loving touch, or received one kind word. Everyone avoids him. Society has written him off.

But when he looks at Jesus, something stirs inside him. It’s something he hasn't felt in ten years: hope.

This leper is a picture of all of us. Maybe you're thinking your past disqualifies you from God's grace. Maybe you believe your failures make you unworthy of His love.

When doubt whispers, "God couldn't possibly want to help someone like me," remember this truth: You don't have a hurt Jesus cannot heal. You do not have a problem Jesus cannot solve. You don't have a question Jesus cannot answer. You don't have a need that Jesus cannot meet.

Jesus sees your desperate condition and His heart fills with compassion. He's not only able—He's willing.

Prayer: Jesus, when I feel unworthy of Your love, remind me that You see past my failures to my desperate need. Thank You for being both able and willing to touch my life with hope.