What Jesus Did! 'The Blessings of Obedience' — Luke 17:14

Saturday, October 7, 2023

[Jesus] looked at [the ten lepers who had pleaded for mercy] and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

Key Thought

Jesus healed people in all sorts of ways. He told these ten with leprosy to go show themselves to the priests just as the law commanded them to do if they were healed. [1] Jesus didn't heal them before they left but rather as they were on their way to the priests. Healing happened after they stepped out in faith and obeyed. So often, many of us will not follow until the Lord does for us what we want. Like these men with leprosy, we call Jesus Lord or Master, but we want him "to do for us" rather than for us to submit to him as Lord. Let's be reminded today that, if Jesus is our Lord, we will obey him whether we see the answers to our prayers before, during, or after our obedience or even if we don't see the answers at all. Let's do what he says and trust that he will dispense his mercy and grace in ways that most bless us for an eternity with him.

Today's Prayer

Father God, please give me the patience that comes from your Spirit's presence. May the Spirit lead me to obey whether or not I see the answers that I want for the wishes of my heart and my prayer requests. I want Jesus truly to be my Lord and Master. Open my eyes so that I can see where I need to obey him and follow his will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Matthew 7:21-23
  • Matthew 7:24-29
  • James 1:21-25

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

5 Related Resources by Heartlight

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 17:14 NLT — [Jesus] looked at [the ten lepers who had pleaded for mercy] and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, October 7, 2023

A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
"Dear Friend, I want you to learn to rejoice in Our work in you. We — Father, Son, and Spirit — delight in your obedience and service to....."
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
"Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death."
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
"Then [the Lord's people] remembered the old days, the days of Moses, God's servant: "Where is he who brought the shepherds of his flock up and out of the sea?....."
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
"You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater,..."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.