I Will, Be Thou Clean
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:3, KJV)
Few things impact our well-being in Christianity as much as our understanding of God’s will for your life. What you believe God desires can either strengthen or weaken our faith, trigger or block miracles, and even open or close doors to the enemy. The significance of God’s will is vividly demonstrated in the story of Jesus and the man with leprosy.
When the leper approached Jesus, uncertain if He truly wanted to heal him, Jesus “put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean.” Jesus told the man clearly: It is my will to heal you; I want to do it. God’s will, in essence, is what He wants or desires.
Those two words from Jesus—I will—are perhaps the most powerful and dramatic illustration of God’s will. Here’s why: God has revealed His will through His Word. At the time of Jesus, people had the Old Testament Scriptures, which revealed God’s will indirectly through the words of the prophets.
However, Jesus marked a turning point in the revelation of God’s will. He did not reveal God’s will through prophecies or Scriptures alone. He was the visible expression of God’s will, living among them. If we want to know what God truly desires, we must look at how Jesus lived. We can read the Scriptures and debate theology, but nothing reveals what God really wants more clearly than Jesus’ life.
Today, if that leper were to ask a theologian or minister if God really wanted to heal him, he might hear something different from what Jesus said. He might be given reasons why people are not healed or why God sometimes doesn’t heal. In contrast, Jesus directly told the man what He truly desired, with words so powerful and clear: I will, be thou clean.
Here’s a problem many Christians face: The fact that we don’t see a miracle or receive the answer we’re praying for doesn’t mean the situation is God’s will. Our experiences are NOT the definition of God’s will. We don’t always get it right; in fact, more often than not, we miss it and fail to make spiritual things work as they should.
Pause and think about the life of Jesus. What did He do whenever He encountered people who were hungry, burdened by sins, harassed by demons, or sick? Not once did He turn anyone away. It is His will to save, heal, deliver, provide, and protect. He is telling you today, son, daughter, I will; be thou clean, delivered, protected, healed, etc.
Believing this simple truth might be one of the most impactful things you do to change your daily Christian experiences.
Meditate
What is the meaning of God’s will? How is Jesus the visible demonstration of what God truly desires according to Hebrews 10:7?
Apply the Word
Here’s something difficult to accept: God’s will is not always fulfilled in our lives. Most of what happens in our lives and in the world today is not God’s will. A crucial step in enforcing God’s will in your life is to know it and believe, even when your experiences do not align with it. Do not waver in your understanding of His will when answers seem delayed. Stand firm and remain unmovable, knowing what He truly desires for you.
Pray
Ask the Father for the grace to understand and believe His will. Ask Him to help you see His will in the life of Jesus.
Recommended Read
- If Thou Wouldest Believe, thou Shouldest See the Glory of God
- Why Did Job Suffer? A Must-Read
- Why do bad things happen in our world?
- No questions about God’s Will
- Praying or Prophesying: Understanding the Difference
- All Deshen Daily Devotionals
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