May 9, 2008

Key Passage: Luke 17:11-19

Topic: Thankfulness

Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17, ESV). 

Ten lepers were hanging around outside of a small town when Jesus came along. They cried out to Him because they wanted to be cured and whole again, to be an accepted part of their community instead of treated as outcasts. So Jesus sent them to the priests. And as they went, their leprosy disappeared.

One of the ten returned to tell Jesus how grateful he was to be healed from this incurable, disfiguring disease. He fell at the Savior's feet and praised God. 

And Jesus wondered aloud why only one man came back. Where were the other nine? 

Ouch! Jesus must wonder where our gratitude is sometimes too. Every day we accept His goodness, we enjoy the gifts He gives, sometimes we don't even realize what tragedy has missed us because He's watching over us--and then we fail to express our thanks to Him. 

Sometimes we even ask for certain things: a job, the solution to a personal problem, that He'll help us through a difficult day. And when we get our desire, we don't think about coming back to say, "Thank you." 

We don't even remember to thank Him for paying with His life so we could be forgiven for doing wrong and for the promise of eternal life in heaven. 

Thank Him for that right now. And then go on to express your gratefulness for other blessings He's put into your life.