vickilynn’s blog

Daily Manna from the Net for

Saturday, June 28, 2008

 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:15-17 NIV

Christian_Forgiven-mermaids_tears

And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If
   you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For
   even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to
   those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For
   even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom
   you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even
   sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love
   your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in
   return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons
   of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the
   selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

   Luke 6:31-36

Return to Give Thanks

One day when Jesus was traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem, ten men with leprosy approached Him and called out; "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" (Luke 17:13). Jesus didn't immediate heal the lepers; rather, He gave them a simple instruction; "Go, show yourselves to the priests" (Luke 17:14). A leper would only present himself to a priest if he believed the leprosy was gone. The priests had the authority to declare a diseased person ceremonially clean and allow them to return home (Leviticus 14).

Therefore, the lepers demonstrated great faith when they followed Jesus' command; "And as they went, they were cleansed" (Luke 17:14). Notice that the lepers had to take action before they were healed - their action was a demonstration of their faith. Though all ten lepers had been cleansed of their terrible disease, only one returned to give thanks; "He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him" (Luke 17:16). Jesus responded with a very convicting question. Luke 17:17 "Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?'" I wonder if we really understand the degree to which we have been healed and made clean; "God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgression" (Ephesians 2:5).

We were DEAD, and He made us alive with Christ - that's serious healing!! Our Heavenly Father reached down in love and provided a way for complete restoration when we didn't even have the ability to cry out for help; "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) - that's serious love!! His Hand guided us toward healing through His Son and His Hand continues to heal in countless ways on our daily walk. Every time relationships are restored, His hand has healed; when conflicts are resolved, His hand has healed; and when He lovingly welcomes us back after we have wandered from His presence, His hand has healed. But do we return to thank Him? Or are we as the other nine lepers who go on our way and forget the One to whom we owe our very lives.

The one leper who returned threw himself at Jesus' feet. If we knew how deathly ill we are without Christ and how completely He has healed our soul, we would not only throw ourselves at His feet, but we would remain and refuse to ever leave. Let's live each day in the presence of God and continually come before Him with hearts overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. Let's remember our divine healing and ALWAYS be the one who will return to give thanks.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel

God's Daily Word Ministries

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God Bless...

Christian Rejoice

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;
   and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
   and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who
   has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is
   able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

   John 10:27-29

Thy Word for a Light