Thanks and Praise

 

I enjoy watching sports on TV. I’m heartened when I hear athletes, when they are congratulated on their accomplishments, begin by giving thanks and praise to God. They are a witness to us as to how we should be living our lives.

 

Ten lepers came to Jesus asking to be healed. He told them to go to the priests. They were healed while they were on their way. One of them immediately came back to thank Jesus. When Jesus saw the man who returned, He said, “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 17:17-18). Jesus said to the man, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19).

 

Luke doesn’t say anything about the nine lepers who didn’t return. We assume they saw the priest, were pronounced cured, and then went off to celebrate. They were probably even grateful to Jesus for their healing but they didn’t make giving thanks a priority for them.

 

Jesus wasn’t proud, so He didn’t need the praise of the nine lepers. He was making a point about the importance of giving thanks and praise to God for all He does for us. It’s not just a debt we owe but also a matter of our spiritual growth and witness to others. The leper who returned was “made well” spiritually and not just physically.

 

God has blessed us in so many ways, both big and small. We should be witnesses to the world of God’s love, grace, and providence. People need to hear what God has done and will do for them.

 

It’s important to thank and praise God in our prayer time. When our prayers are just a recitation of our needs, we are like the nine lepers who received what they asked for and went away. We in turn are blessed spiritually when we give God the praise that is due Him.

 

Let’s be like the one and not like the nine!

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an E-book through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.