Any Offensive Way...

“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…Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’” Luke 17:15-18

I am convicted with a heaviness for which I haven’t felt in a while. It is no coincidence that God laid this passage at my feet this morning. This is the story of The Ten Lepers who all had faith to be healed by Jesus but only one came back to thank Him. My Bible Commentary states, ‘Only the grateful ten percent inherit Christ’s true riches. Jesus meets our turning back and our giving thanks with fresh blessings.’ p. 1436.

I have been one of the nine who didn’t return. I have been praying to God over the past week to fill me with His compassion and His love so I can pass that along to my father-in-law. It seemed that any little bits I could muster up would dissipate within 15 seconds of interacting with Bud. I began questioning the state of my heart and my ability to care and have compassion with him. I began doubting the kind of Christian I am and the compassion that I thought I have always had. Then God showed me my sin of unthankfulness. The reason I couldn’t access His riches such as love, compassion, patience and grace was because I had an unconfessed sin – lack of true gratitude. Yesterday, out of the blue I wrote down the first part of Psalm 51:10-12 – ‘Create in me a pure heart, O God and a steadfast spirit.’ It wasn’t until this morning that I read the rest of the verse. “Do not cast me from your presence of take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

I would like to share my journal entry from this morning in an effort to show the spiritual necessity of gratitude and praise to God in everything.

July 17, 2010: Oh Father, what a sinner I have been regarding my lack of thankfulness to You. You have given me everything to carry me in this season victoriously but I have lacked gratitude and praise lately. I haven’t truly praised you for all that you have provided. As a result I have not felt Your presence and mercies and have been void of joy in my life on all levels. Last night I said to Bruce that I do not feel joy in any part of my life…the devil had a victory in this war and here I lay spiritually wounded and bleeding. I now understand times that you withhold your best from us when we are less than our best. This morning I praise you for showing me the condition of my heart even if I do not like what I see! I thank you for the work you did on the cross that provides Your awesome forgiveness and continual blessings. I pray the prayer of David (Psalm 139:23-24) as I approach this day: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Amen)

Let us be in that ten percent who returns and falls at the feet of Jesus to thank and praise Him .