Devotional thoughts on Luke 17:11-19

By Jen Dunning

Take a moment and imagine you are the lead actor in a box office hit movie. You have just won an Oscar for Best Actor. Walking to center stage, the award is handed to you and you are directed to give your speech. What would you say?

Typically those speeches go through a long list of names that include the film directors, set designers, special effects artists, and the actors’ families. On rare occasion you may hear someone thank God. They express gratefulness to those who have helped them arrive at that moment of great achievement.

Spiritual Healing

In Luke 17 we see 10 men who were living with the physical pain of a horrible skin disease and the emotional pain of being separated from those they loved. Jesus had mercy on them and told them to go show themselves to the priests. On their way in obedience, they were healed. However, only 1of the 10 would return to throw himself at Jesus’ feet in gratitude.

It seems like there was a physical healing of nine men and a spiritual healing of one. Only one returned to throw himself at the feet of the one who had become his Savior. His life was changed from the inside out.

Spotlight

Sometimes we forget to give credit where credit is due and we forget who deserves our gratitude. It is only through faith and trust in Jesus Christ that, in the end, we can achieve the ultimate award: eternity with our Father. Along the way we are given moments to express gratitude for things that Jesus has done in our life to help guide and protect us. We have other opportunities to praise him, even in the midst of our suffering; the dark twist we didn’t expect. When we’ve placed our complete faith in him, we praise him during the good times and the bad.

When we have allowed Jesus to change us from the inside out, gratitude throws us at his feet in praise. Use every stage upon which you stand as an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the real superstar of your faith!

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6, 7).

Jen Dunning and her husband, Anthony, and their two daughters, Natalie and Brynn, live in Katy, Texas, where she is the director of Pre-Teen Ministry at Current—a Christian Church.