Leprosy

Leprosy, or what we know of as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infection that affects the skin and causes red legions to form on the body. In major cases, people lose limbs. A lack of nutritious foods can cause it to spread. For this reason, before there were any cures to this disease these people were separated from the mass population and put into leper colonies. This is because they were classified as unclean, as God said to Moses. It is written, “and the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, when a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.” (Leviticus 13:1-3) This would have been a very hard time to live in, especially if you were one of those people to have leprosy.

Starting with the times of Moses and for centuries after, lepers were not intermixed with the people at large. This is because they were considered unclean. Even the lepers would cry out and say, “unclean, unclean”, in order to warn people of their infectious disease. It is written, “and the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.” (Leviticus 13:45,46) However, when Jesus came down to earth He gave them hope. Him healing a leper is written, “when he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:1-3) God still heals people in the times we are living today, for those who believe.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that You will come and heal my family. My oldest daughter is sick with a cold and I pray that she will be healed and be able to go back to school as soon as possible. My youngest also has similar flu-like symptoms and I pray that You will cast out those infirmities before they get any worse. Help my wife to not come down with the flu. She has symptoms and I pray that she will also receive Your mighty healing. All last week I was feeling under the weather with a cold and I am sorry for passing it on to my family. I should have been more careful in covering up my mouth when I sneezed and I am sorry, God. It isn’t fair that I am getting better while my family is getting sick. Lord, we need Your healing power to affect us. I believe in Your mighty power have seen You heal many people in and through me over the years. And now we need this same healing power to affect me and my family. Lord, there is still work to be done in Your kingdom. Help me, my wife, and my kids be a part of it while not allowing sicknesses to overcome us. I love You, Lord. I believe in You. Amen.