Luke 17:12-14 -- On Believing and Acting

"And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed."
Luke 17:12-14


I like that they were healed "as they went." They took action at God's word and started off, without proof, to go see the priests. If this parable had one of the men sit back down and not do as God asked, we'd probably think he was insane, but I feel like that is similar to the actions that we often take with God. Somehow we think that God worked in the scriptures one way, but in our lives another. Perhaps we think that healing had to be miraculous back in those days when we had a poor medical system, or we think that God isn't really offering us the same things that he offered these people for whatever reason.

Whatever our reasons for holding back or doubting, I think that we are cheating ourselves out of a lot of miraculous help because we aren't first believing and second acting on the things that God promises us. Christ is willing to heal us, just as he healed these men, and all the people in Luke 6:19 or 3 Nephi 17:9.

Today, let's stop thinking that we are exceptions in negative ways, and work on our faith. Let's believe God when he says that he can help us, and whatever he asks of us, let's do it. As we believe what God says, and then act on it, God will be able to work miracles in our lives.