Passage:
Luke 17:11-19 (Amp. Version) While Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance; and they raised their voices and called out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice; and he lay face downward at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine? Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?” Jesus said to him, “Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God’s power] has restored you to health.”
Devotional:
The men in this story responded by faith through obediently following Jesus’ instructions…. Jesus healed them when they were on their way… Is your trust in God strong enough that you act on what he says even before you see evidence that it will work?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight.
There are clear principles in God’s word that we believe and obey because of who He is. He is faithful… He is Truth… He is Love… He has a track record worthy of trusting in and, because of who He is, we obey willingly not because it appeals to human knowledge. God often defies human logic! It did not make sense that Abraham and Sarah would have a child in their old age but they chose to believe in God and the nation of Israel was born! It did not make any sense for a virgin girl to give birth but she chose to believe and our Savior was born! Moses’ mom knew there was something special about her son and she chose to believe in God’s protection; and because of her faith the entire nation of Israel was birthed into freedom from captivity that they had been in for 400 years!
Story after story we see people daring to go against human logic and taking God at his word and experiencing miracle after miracle because of it, changing the course of history for the multitudes. One person daring to have faith in God and obeying him and the course of history is changed! How will your faith in God impact the world!?!? Will you dare to believe in God? Will you dare to radically obey him even when human logic screams against it? Will you be the next person to change human history because of your obedience and faith in our God? Why not you? All of the people that God used in the Bible (in the world's logic or standards) were insignificant nobodies but God gave them favor. Do not underestimate what God can do with a heart bent towards him willing and able to have faith and obedience in him no matter what!!!
Jesus healed 10 men but only 1 returned to thank him. God doesn’t demand that we thank him but it pleases him when we do so. He uses our responsiveness to teach us more about himself!
Psalms 107:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalms 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Psalms 30:12 That my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Our God is such a good, good God. Do not withhold your thankfulness and praise for He is worthy. Forgive me Father for taking your goodness for granted please put within me a heart full of praise and thanksgiving so I will honor you with my lips!!!
Not only was this 1 man an unclean leper but he was also a Samaritan. This was a race of idolatrous half-breads that were despised by the Jews. Luke points this out once again to drive home the truth of how God offers grace to everybody!
Romans 5:7-8 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
While we were God’s enemy He chose to die for us. We ran from Him. We disobeyed him. We live in rebellion towards him and yet He loves us. He chooses to forgive. He chooses to rescue us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. We deserve death and He gives us life. His grace and mercy is new every day. His grace is for EVERYONE and I am soooo thankful for that truth!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, You are such a good, good God. I give you thanks and praise and all honor. Glory goes to you and you alone. Forgive me for not being more thankful, forgive me for not praising you more, forgive me for how I take your grace and mercy and goodness for granite, forgive me for not honoring you with my lips as I should. You are so worthy, worthy of all praise, our glorious weighted praise!!! God I pray that we would have a steadfast radical obedience towards you. I pray our faith would be in you and you alone. I pray that we would not walk by sight but willingly follow and obey whatever you ask as soon as you ask. Remove our stony stubborn hearts and replace them with a fleshy responsive heart that is tender towards your will for our lives.… May we be change agents for you. May we follow you in such a way that the world around us is impacted and changed by your GREAT unfailing love. Take the love of the world from us, help us to be kingdom focused, teach us to die to self and live for you in total surrender. Only YOU can do this in us Father… so bend us… break us… May we be vessels that can be used for your kingdom. I don’t want to be someone you have to put on a shelf… I don’t want to be someone who is unusable… have mercy on me… forgive me how I fail you… Change me Daddy… take my life and let it be all for you.. give me clean hands and a pure heart… let me not lift my soul to another… lead me and guide me into your everlasting perfect way… help me to abide so I know how to follow… Grant me a genuine faith and grow it … I pray this over myself and every person reading it…I ask this in the mighty life changing name of Jesus- AMEN