Thankful as the Leper
"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..."
Luke 17:15-16
Whoa. Now that's some kind of worship! Right? Look closely at what this healed leper did (Luke 17:15-16). Jesus healed 10 lepers and only one ran back to Jesus to praise Him in a loud voice and threw himself at Jesus' feet to profusely thank Him. How beautiful! What a testimony of the love and power of God! And look at the outward exhilaration of love he had for his Savior!
These lepers were walking along a road between Samaria and Galilee and saw Jesus and "called out to Him" for healing mercies ."When He saw them, He said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went they were cleansed" (v. 13-14).
The one who ran back to Jesus to thank Him was a Samaritan, a group of people whom the Jews regarded as ignorant, irreligious people. The other nine healed lepers, in their ingratitude, ignored Jesus after He healed them and did not give Him glory. Is that what we call entitlement in our present culture? Hmmmmm.
Jesus asked the grateful man, "Were not all 10 cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" (v. 17-18) Jesus is concerned with our spiritual hearts not the color of our skin or our birthplace. He gave the "foreigner" the miracle and said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well" (v.19). The thankful leper received bodily healing along with the other nine but he also received healing of his soul!!!!
Obviously this joyful, thankful man didn't check to see who was watching him as he enthusiastically worshiped Jesus. It didn't matter to him what people thought of him. His newfound passion was to worship God with all of his thankful heart!
Hey, this didn't happen in a church service--even though it should also be happening there, too! God is actually looking for worshipers who will worship Him in every area of life, not just in one location, but everywhere we go! That's because worshiping God should be our lifestyle! He says, "Yet a time is coming and now has come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).
An attitude of gratitude is rare and our flesh will battle against it. It's so much easier to complain and let pride rule our hearts than to be humble "and be overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:7). Right? But when we're not thankful we're not faithful.
But when we are truly thankful and begin to live a life of praise and thanks to God every day, the healing begins, the chains will fall off, we'll become light-hearted because we have learned to push back the darkness with our love and thanks to our God. I know. I'm living it.
I used to be a sin-sick leper until I became a child of God. It's the same for everyone of us! We're all sin-sick lepers, dwellers of darkness, sin, and misery in dire need of a Savior to rescue us and deliver us. And when we run to Him and fall at His feet to worship Him, the healing begins immediately! Whoo Hoo! Then you just can't help yourself but to loudly thank Him because you know Him, really know Him, and you know what He has done for you, and you know you do not deserve His lovingkindness! He truly is a wonderful, merciful Savior!
Anytime you see someone enthusiastically worshiping God with raised hands and singing off key in a loud voice, and/or running to the altar to give thanks publicly, think twice about what that person must have gone through -- and been healed from -- to be THAT thankful.
No one can do what our God can do. No one. He. Is. Awesome.
💖 Polly
I write to shine the light.
Matthew 5:16
This devotion, "Thankful as the Leper," is included in my first book, Totally Devoted 1, available on Amazon. The link to purchase my book in paperback or Kindle editions is at the top right corner of this blog. By clicking the photo of the trilogy of my devotionals you will find my author page on Amazon.
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