Do You Return to Praise God?

Daily Devotional – Friday, September 8, 2023
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Luke 17:17-18 (NKJV)

The story of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed often fills me with ‘holy’ indignation. How could the nine men be so ungrateful after getting healed? Had Jesus not given them a new lease on life, symbolically resurrecting them? Why did they not return to praise God?

What an Ungrateful Lot!

This incident reminds me of a community I worked in where saying ‘thank you’ was not part of the vocabulary. Whatever you did for people was a right, not a favour. In fact, if you stopped offering a free service, those you had helped would insult you.

We frown at ungracious people because they forget so quickly. At one moment, they are on their knees, begging for help. The moment they get what they want, they forget those who helped them. What an ungrateful lot!

Only One Returned to Say ‘Thank You’

Now, let us flip the coin. Is it possible that we are guilty of the same sin of ingratitude? Remember what Jesus said after only one leper returned to thank the Lord? “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18).

Think of the many times you have cried to God for help and the countless times He has answered you. Conversely, how often do you remember to return and thank God for His intervention in your life? On which activity do you spend more time on? Pleading with God for help or thanking Him for answering your prayers?

Have You Returned to Praise God?

You passed the exam you dread so much, but did you remember to thank God? The sickness is gone. Is God still in the picture? God intervened in your financial troubles. Is he still relevant in your life? You got the job you wanted. Have you honoured the pledges you made to God? After your employer promoted you, did you remember to ascribe the glory to God?

Are you in the category of the thankless nine lepers or the appreciative leper whom Jesus commended? Look back at what He has done for you in the recent past. Have you returned to praise God? What will you do today, in word and deed, to express your appreciation to God for His immeasurable goodness towards you?

Prayer
Dear Jesus, forgive me for my ingratitude. I have returned to praise You for everything You have done for me.