August 13, 2023: Killing The Giants Within

"And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." (Matthew 8:2, ESV)

Sometimes we have to deal with the giants in us before we can deal with the giants standing in our way. Take, for example, Gideon, Moses, and Joseph. God had to deal with the giants in each of them before they could deal with the giants in their land.
    
It was no different in Matthew 8:1-13. We meet a leper and a centurion. Both expressed their unworthiness before Jesus. The leper said, "Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean." The leper felt unworthy of Jesus' presence because of his sickness. He was made to think that his disease disqualified Him from God's love.
    
The centurion told Jesus, "I am not worthy to have you under my roof." The centurion felt disqualified to be in Jesus' presence because of his race and position in life. Both men felt a sense of unworthiness to be in the presence of Jesus. How about you? Do you feel unworthy to be in His presence?
    
The leper required a ‘touch’ from Jesus to overcome his unworthiness. The centurion required a 'word' from Jesus to overcome his unworthiness. What do you need to overcome your unworthiness? Perhaps all you need is to see the goodness of God. God's goodness brought the leper to Jesus, the centurion to Jesus, and, if you gaze on God's goodness, He will bring you to Jesus' healing touch!