“It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He knelt at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?" Then he said to him, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.” Luke 17:11-19 (The Message)

Someone once said that “there are 86,400 seconds in every day – How many have you used to say thank you?” This amazing passage of scripture from the Gospel of Luke certainly challenges us as the reader to not stop our faith at the point of a received miracle but to let our faith continue beyond the miracle to that place of thanksgiving. The passage reveals to us that only one of the ten that received their healing from leprosy actually returned to say thank you! Not only did just one return, but he was also a Samaritan – a foreigner – one seen by the Jews as less then worthy of recognition, let alone a miracle. Where are you counted, among the 1 or among the 9? Has thanksgiving and gratitude become a part of who you are in Christ or have you not continued beyond the asking and receiving, and simply move on without any thought of returning with a heart overflowing with gratitude to the throne of God’s grace?

Many believers spend a lot of time petitioning the Lord for His Hand to move in a myriad of ways on their behalf and for their benefit. And while we are told in the Scriptures to bring our needs before God, I want to challenge you that before you pull out your shopping list of prayers – to stop and take the time to thank God for who He is, what He has done, what He continues to do and how He continues to move through your life. I am convinced that without thankfulness our faith in God soon becomes like the presumptuous expectation of a spoilt child, While the thankful heart rejoices in what they have rather than all that they don’t, it ultimately will lead to a deep and intimate relationship with the Father, in which no lack can be found.

The remarkable thing about this passage is that the man returned with only gratitude in his heart and a desire to express it to Jesus… yet he left with more… he received more than just healing Jesus says your faith has healed AND Saved you… Gratitude and thankfulness always lead to increase in the Kingdom!

Dear friends won’t you join with me in pouring out our lives in gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all that He is and has done on our behalf? Let us focus on what we have received rather than what we haven’t and may gratitude and thankfulness open the floodgates of God’s hand upon our lives in Jesus Name. Amen.