EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING
BY PASTOR PAUL RIKA:
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide
TITLE: BE A THANKFUL BENEFICIARY
TEXT: LUKE 17:11-19
(11) And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
(12) And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
(13) And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
(14) And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
(15) And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
(16) And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
(17) And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
(18) There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
(19) And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
KEY VERSE: PSALM 118:1
O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: because His mercy endureth for ever.
Case 1: The Amorites ill-treated David’s messengers of love. David had sent men to comfort the new king of Amorites over the death of his father, who had been good to David. This was a great act of love. But the king of the Amorites treated them very badly. What was responsible for this ingratitude? (1) The darkness of heathenism (2) Absence of true love among them (3) Impure minds (4) Pride (5) Suspicion and misinterpretation of good gesture. Believers must be thankful for the love and kindness they receive.
Case 2: Ten lepers pleaded with Jesus to heal them. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest. On the way, they were healed. One returned to give thanks. The others did not. Jesus wondered at their ingratitude. What was responsible for this? (1) They had unthankful hearts due to the presence of sin (2) Maybe they were unthankful by tradition (3) Pride of having the right to healing as Israelites (4) They were more interested in their health than the healer (5) They did not think deeply.
Case 3: Jesus healed the maniac of Gadara. The demons entered into pigs feeding nearby and they all were drowned in the sea. The man became perfectly well, but the Gadarenes asked Jesus to leave their coast. What ingratitude! What contempt against God! What was responsible for this? (1) They had no empathy for the afflicted man (2) They had no understanding of the person of Jesus (3) They valued material things above the spiritual (4) They had a wrong understanding of the implication of Christ’s ministry (5) They loved darkness rather than light. Learn to say “Thank you” to God and man.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: An unthankful person blocks the road for a future favour.
SONG FOR THE DAY: We are saying thank You, Jesus, thank You, my Lord…..
BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: Jeremiah 20-22; 2 Timothy 1