12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.
13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 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.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, 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 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
Gratitude is an attitude that determines altitude in life. To be grateful, you must be keen to take to heart in specific details, reasons to give thanks to God. Grateful people are not complainers or murmurers. Scripture commands us in Philippians 2:14, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” The children of Israel in the Exodus murmured again and again and this did not please God. It was an unpleasant offering to God. They were not careful enough to retain the goodness of God in their consciousness, instead, they kept complaining about every challenge they encountered, not bearing in mind that the God that did miracles in time past can still meet their needs. Their praise was mood determined. When they received a miracle, they praised God but when challenges arose, they murmured. God does not want us to live life this way. The Psalmist said, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalms 34:1. Our praise of God must be based on His goodness, not our circumstances. God is always good. Circumstances may change, but God’s goodness and faithfulness will never change. Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”. Because God does not change, your thanksgiving to Him ought to be continual and steadfast.
From today’s opening Scripture, the only one of the ten lepers who returned to give glory to God was a stranger, a Samaritan. Jesus had to ask in verse 17 “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” One of the signs of the end-time is ingratitude. Such plague of ingratitude must never be named among us as believers. Gratitude is what God expects from you. Joy is the only emotion permitted to be displayed in God’s presence. Make praise your lifestyle; make it your priority! If there is no melody, start singing. Ignite the melody by faith. In this New Covenant, you are a priest unto God. You have what it takes to offer thanksgiving to Him. You have unrestricted access to come to the Throne of Grace where the God of all grace Himself sits. You can offer the fruits of your lips by Jesus Christ, your High Priest, giving thanks unto His Name. Beloved, make gratitude your lifestyle. Hallelujah!
MY SOLID FRONT (YOUR CONFESSION):
In the Name of Jesus, I refuse to complain or murmur about anything. I maintain the posture of gratitude and thanksgiving in all things, all the days of my life.
Further Meditation: Revelations 1:6; Hebrews 13:15.