Thurs.’s Devo -Faith

Read Luke 17:1-19 It is impossible to not have offenses. The Greek definition for offenses is a scandal; a snare being the cause of displeasure or sin; a stumbling block. There is nothing you can do to stop trials but you can control if you are the reason for the trial. If you are the cause of the offense then you must repent and go to the person you have offended and ask for their forgiveness. Then you are free before them and God. If the offense comes against us, then we must forgive them if they ask for it or not. To harbor unforgiveness is an offense against the name of Jesus. If he who is sinless can take our sin for us, then we who are sinful can forgive. The apostles understood what Jesus was saying and had much reason to be offended by the organized religious system of the day and the unrighteous government system. So they asked for God to increase their faith. Jesus let them know that they only needed a small amount of faith to do great things. Then he explained to them that to increase their faith they just needed to do what the Word said to do. If they do that then they will be profitable in God’s eyes. To further teach them about being faithful he told them the parable about the 10 lepers who were healed by him. Only one came back and thanked Jesus. To him Jesus said, “Arise, go your way; your faith has made you whole.” He healed all 10 but because this man acknowledged the source being from God and was thankful - he was made whole. That word “whole” means to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well, which is much more than what the other 9 got. He had faith in God and praised him. That is what faith is: acknowledging God as the source of everything good. Lord, increase our faith to believe the simplicity of the gospel. You are our source and strength.