The Wednesday Word 11.24.2021

 

Luke 17:11-19

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

There are times when I am thoroughly ashamed of myself. A thought crosses my mind at an inopportune moment and I make a mental note to try and remember to actually do it. I have the very best intentions but, way too often, my follow-through stinks. Showing our gratitude to one another is such an easy thing to do. Expressing sincere thanks, especially to those close to us, can be so easily overlooked. Yet, these are the very people with whom we should be the most ready to share our thoughts and feelings. Letting people know that their work or their kindness has not gone unnoticed costs you nothing; yet, it can mean the world.

We did a study a few years back and it changed the entire framework of my prayer life. It was on Praying in the Messiness of Life by Linda Douty (Upper Room, 2011). One of her suggestions was instead of describing your fears and needs in a laundry list to God, you should thank him. For example, I thank God for our safety on the road instead of asking him to keep us safe. I thank him for keeping our happy home safe and secure, instead of asking him to protect us, etc. It has transformed my prayer time into a celebration of how God moves in our lives. It is truly a time of praise and it sets a tone of joy for my whole day. I recommend it wholeheartedly. Let thankfulness transform your day…something to pray about.

Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.



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