Light of The World Today
Why gratitude turns a gift into wholeness.
"And He said to him, 'Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.'" Luke 17:19 NKJV
When we are desperate, we pray hard. When the answer comes, many of us move on quickly to the next need. Luke 17:11 to 19 tells the story of ten men who were healed, and of the one who came back. It carries a quiet challenge for all of us.
The Story
Ten men with leprosy stood at a distance and called out, Jesus, Master, have pity on us. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. Luke 17:14 says that as they went, they were cleansed. They obeyed before they saw anything change.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him, and he was a Samaritan, a foreigner. Jesus asked, were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?
"Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?"
Luke 17:17 NIV
What the One Received That the Nine Missed
All ten received healing, but only one heard Jesus say, your faith has made you well. That phrase can also carry the sense of being made whole. The nine received a gift. The one also received the giver. Gratitude turns an answered prayer into a relationship. Notice also that Jesus noticed. He does not demand thanks to feel important. He invites us back because he longs to give us more than the gift itself.
How to Apply This Today
Go back to one answered prayer: Think of something God has done for you that you have moved past. Thank him for it specifically today.
Name three things each night: Write or say three specific things you are thankful for. First Thessalonians 5:18 in the NIV says give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Thank a person: Send a message today to someone who helped you, and tell them what it meant.
Conclusion
Nine received the gift. One came back and received far more. Do not be the one who moves on without saying thank you. Return, give thanks and let gratitude draw you closer to the giver.
Memory Verse
"Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?"
Luke 17:17 NIV
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Key scriptures: Luke 17:11 to 19 NIV, Luke 17:19 NKJV, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV, Psalm 103:2 NIV, Psalm 107:1 NIV.