One Out Of Ten

“Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.”

Proverbs 27:5


I read a quote the other day that said, “Gratitude that is not expressed is ingratitude.” You might not agree, thinking that many times in life you are grateful for something but often times you don’t express what you feel. I get that, “been there done that” as the saying goes. Its good to note a couple things as we head into another Thanksgiving this year that is most certainly going to take on a much different shape due to the spike in COVID-19 around the world.

First, gratitude is a lot like faith. People can’t see your faith unless it’s expressed. Thats what James 1:18 reminds us, “But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” The point is, the world can’t see our heart, only God can. People only see our faith when it is expressed, lived out for others to see and the same goes for gratitude. You can think and feel grateful all day long but until we express it openly it really is nothing more than ingratitude. Don’t take my word for it, listen to what Jesus has to say.

In Luke 17:11-19 the physician turned disciple and apostle records for us an interesting interaction between Jesus and ten men with leprosy, “Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

In verse 17 Jesus poses the question, “Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not found any who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Is Jesus calling into question the gratitude of the nine former lepers who failed to return and publicly give thanks? I believe that is exactly what Jesus is saying. “Gratitude that is not expressed is ingratitude.”

Let’s learn the lesson from the nine lepers. Don’t miss the opportunities to go back and say thank you this Thanksgiving. First and foremost to the Lord and then the people in our lives who have touched our lives, those who have served to bring healing and wholeness to us. This year more than others is one where we need to be thankful and to express our gratitude too. Just know today, I am very thankful for you!

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy”

Philippians 1:3-4

I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

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