God rescues
When you were in trouble, you called to me, and I saved you. ~ Psalm 81:7 (GNT)
A man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to Jesus, knelt down, and begged him for help. “If you want to,” he said, “you can make me clean.”
Jesus was filled with pity, and reached out and touched him. “I do want to,” he answered. “Be clean!” At once the disease left the man, and he was clean. ~ Mark 1:40-42 (GNT)
KEY IDEA:
God is in the business of saving people from desperate situations.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for rescuing me from the grip of death and sin. I confess, though, that I am prone to slide back into unhealthy and diseased habits. I don't understand why that is -- especially since I'm so grateful for the way that you have already rescued me. You can make me healthy and whole. You're the only one who can.
So, I am still trusting in you and counting on you, in spite of my shortcomings. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
