Soul Survivor - Devotions From 'The Flood'Sample

SAY THE WORD

In this story we read about someone who amazed Jesus. Not because of their talent or power but because of their faith. Whilst the Centurion’s servants pleaded that he deserved to have Jesus come to his house, the Centurion himself knew that no matter what his standing was in that society he wasn’t worthy to have Almighty God come to his home. He knew the truth about who he was and he knew the truth about who Jesus was. He saw that Jesus had such incredible authority and power that he only had to say the word and his servant would be healed. He didn’t need to see him, touch him, or even be in the same room as him – Jesus just had to ask His Father and it would be done.

When Jesus heard this he told the whole crowd that was gathered how amazing the Centurion’s faith was. It’s like he was saying: ‘This guy gets it! He gets how the kingdom of God works! This is the kind of faith I’m looking for.’

‘Say the word’ aims to reflect the attitude of the Centurion, saying that we come to Jesus empty-handed and in need. There’s nothing we can do to deserve God’s presence and nothing we can do to earn his favour. We can’t demand his healing; we come to him in humility. It also reflects God’s power – at Jesus’ command the wind and waves are stilled, the mountains can be moved, we can be healed and set free. This is the God we worship; He is powerful! When we tame God into a cosy and accessible figure, we can forget His might and His majesty. But if we focus too much on His power we can forget that He’s loving and welcomes us into His presence. The truth is that not only does He have the power to change us, He is also willing to do so because He loves. Isn’t that amazing?