Take God At His Word





And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority." When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." (Matt. 8:5-10)

The Roman centurion had great faith because he understood Jesus' words had authority over sickness and disease. The centurion was willing not only to believe the words of Jesus, but to act on them as well.

The centurion didn't say, "Jesus, I need You to come to my house." He said, "You just speak the Word, Jesus, and I'll take that Word and act on it!" In Verse 13, Jesus responded to the centurion's faith: "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the same hour."

The centurion didn't need a special manifestation or special feeling. He just heard the incorruptible seed of Jesus' words, and said, "I believe what You say." And when the centurion acted on the Word he heard, his servant received his healing.

That's what God expects us to do. He doesn't expect us to wait for some special manifestation, even though that may happen at times. God expects us to simply take Him at His Word, believe we receive His promises and boldly act on them in faith.

NOTE: The Roman centurion was not a Jew nor was he a Christian but based on what he had seen and heard of Jesus he was willing to believe and that enabled him to receive. How often we who call ourselves the Chruch of Jesus Christ fail in this simple principle.