23rd. November. 2020. Daily Devotion.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you’; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, ‘See that no one knows about this.’ 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. Matthew 9:27-31
Jesus reached out and touched many people’s lives, not only emotionally, but also physically during His ministry. For example, He physically touched an untouchable, a man with leprosy. Lepers in those days were hated by others. They were thought to be unclean, and Jesus touched him, and healed him. William Barclay stated, “the very essence of Christianity to touch the untouchable, to love the unlovable, to forgive the unforgivable, Jesus did–and so must we.”
We are not encouraging unrestrained touching because of Covid-19, however there are many ways to reach out and touch a person’s life in order to glorify God. An unknown writer stated:
“You are writing a gospel,
A chapter each day,
By deeds that you do,
By words, that you say.
Men read what you write,
Whether faithless or true,
Say! What is the gospel according to YOU?”
As God’s people reach out and touch lives, encourage others to take the same initiative. Why not reach out to a lonely person by the simple gesture of a smile; pass on God’s encouraging Word to a discouraged person; and cultivate a willingness to be used by God, in any way He might nudge you to do so. Who are you going to reach out and touch their life today? Ask God to show you someone!
How long has it been since you reached out and touched someone’s life, especially someone whom you did not know? A Brock.
Lord God, thank You for reaching out and touching our lives with Your love. Amen.
For a Christian Life
O Christ, you came so that we might have life, and have it more abundantly,
grant me, throughout this day, power in my love,
strength in my humility,
purity in my zeal,
kindness in my laughter,
and your peace in my heart at all times. Amen. J. L. Cowie
Prayer for forgiveness
Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.
Prayer of a health worker
Lord, we pray for those who need ongoing medical treatment who are forced to wait at this time.
God, please watch over their health and help them to stay positive and patient.
We pray that we overcome this global crisis and that after this pandemic, we build a more just and humane world. Amen.
Marlene Cruz who leads a community health team at the Guarjila Health Clinic in El Salvador.
