The Silent Epidemic Part II
Let’s Break it Down
True thankfulness means giving God glory with extended hands, recognizing His lordship over every area of our lives. The Samaritan's response teaches us that genuine gratitude is an act of worship. No matter how distant we feel from God, He comes running when we turn toward Him, just as the father ran to meet the prodigal son.
Key Takeaways
Only one out of ten lepers returned to thank Jesus, showing that gratitude is not automatic even after receiving God's blessings
Thankfulness to God is synonymous with giving Him glory and should be a regular part of our worship and daily life
Jesus desires to be both Savior and Lord of our lives, requiring ongoing surrender rather than a one-time decision
No matter how far we've strayed from God, He sees us from a distance and runs to meet us when we turn toward Him
The longest journey is often from our head to our heart - truly believing and living out what we know to be true about God
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5 Day Devotional
Day 1:The Distance Between Us and God
Devotional Have you ever felt like you were standing at a distance from God? Maybe life's circumstances have left you feeling isolated, forgotten, or too far gone for His love to reach you. In Luke 17, we encounter ten lepers who understood this feeling all too well. They were forced to live as outcasts, separated from society and seemingly from God's presence. Yet when they cried out to Jesus from afar, something beautiful happened - He heard them and responded with healing. This story reveals a profound truth about God's character: distance doesn't diminish His ability to hear us or His desire to help us. Whether we've wandered away through poor choices, been pushed away by circumstances, or simply feel spiritually dry, God's ears are always tuned to our cries for help. The lepers didn't have to get closer to be heard; they just had to call out. Perhaps you're reading this today feeling like those lepers - distant, unworthy, or forgotten. Take heart in knowing that God sees you exactly where you are. He's not waiting for you to clean up your act or figure everything out before He responds. He's ready to meet you in your mess, in your pain, in your confusion. The only distance between you and God is the distance you choose to maintain.
Bible Verse
'God sees and hears from afar off. Sees and hears from afar off.' - Psalm 34:8
Reflection Question
What circumstances or choices in your life have made you feel distant from God, and how might you begin to turn toward Him today?
Quote No matter how far away from God you are, as soon as you turn towards him, he's running to you. He's coming after you.
Prayer
Father, thank You that no distance is too great for Your love to reach. Help me to remember that You hear my cries even when I feel far away. Give me the courage to turn toward You, knowing that You are already running to meet me. Amen.
Day 2:The Power of Turning
Devotional Sometimes the most profound changes in life begin with the simplest actions. For the ten lepers, it started with a turn - literally turning toward Jesus and crying out for mercy. They didn't have a complex plan or perfect faith; they simply recognized their need and turned to the One who could help. Turning toward God is often the hardest and easiest thing we'll ever do. It's hard because it requires us to acknowledge our need, to admit we can't handle life on our own. It's easy because it doesn't require perfection, just direction. The lepers didn't have to be healed before they approached Jesus; they came in their brokenness, in their desperation, exactly as they were. Maybe you've been living in your own kind of 'pigsty' - stuck in patterns that leave you feeling sick and tired of being sick and tired. The beautiful truth is that transformation can begin with a simple turn. You don't need to have all the answers or feel spiritually ready. You just need to turn your heart toward Jesus and cry out to Him. God is not looking for perfection; He's looking for direction. When the prodigal son simply turned toward home, his father saw him from a distance and ran to meet him. The same is true for us. Our heavenly Father is watching, waiting, and ready to run toward us the moment we turn His way.
Bible Verse
'And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.' - Luke 15:20
Reflection Question
What area of your life needs a 'turn' toward God, and what's preventing you from taking that step today?
Quote All he had to do was turn. And some of you, that's all you gotta do is just turn to Him.
Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to turn toward You in every area of my life. Help me to stop running from You and instead run to You with my struggles, fears, and needs. Thank You for always being ready to receive me with open arms. Amen.
Day 3:From Head to Heart
Devotional There's a significant difference between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him. Many of us can recite Bible verses, attend church regularly, and even talk about God with others, yet still struggle with making that crucial journey from head knowledge to heart transformation. This is perhaps one of the longest distances we'll ever travel. The ten lepers all received the same miracle, but only one allowed it to transform his heart completely. The other nine received their healing and moved on with their lives, treating Jesus more like a divine vending machine than the Lord of their lives. They knew He could heal, but they didn't truly know Him as Master. Sometimes we can grow up in environments where God is discussed but not truly known. We might know the right words to say and the right things to do, but our hearts remain untouched by His love. The journey from head to heart requires more than information; it requires transformation. It means allowing what we know about God to change how we live, how we respond to Him, and how we see ourselves in relation to Him. This transformation doesn't happen overnight. It's a process of continual surrender, of allowing God's truth to move from our minds into the deepest parts of our being. When this happens, our response to God changes from obligation to overflow, from duty to delight.
Bible Verse
'That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.' - Romans 10:9
Reflection Question
What truths about God do you know in your head that you're still waiting to experience in your heart?
Quote I think sometimes it's got to get from our head to our heart. And that is the longest traveling point.
Prayer
God, help me to move beyond just knowing about You to truly knowing You. Transform my heart so that my faith becomes more than just head knowledge. Make Your truth real and personal in my life. Amen.
Day 4:The Heart of True Worship
Devotional When the Samaritan leper returned to Jesus, he didn't just say a quick 'thank you' and leave. He fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him glory and calling Him 'Master.' This wasn't mere politeness; it was worship. His gratitude was so overwhelming that it expressed itself in complete surrender and recognition of who Jesus truly was. True thankfulness is more than good manners or positive thinking. The word 'thankful' literally means 'with extended hands' - a posture of complete openness and surrender to God. It's the recognition that everything we have, everything we are, and everything we hope to be comes from Him. When we truly grasp where we would be without Jesus, our natural response should be overwhelming gratitude. This kind of thankfulness transforms us. It moves us from being consumers of God's blessings to worshipers of God Himself. We stop seeing Him as someone who exists to meet our needs and start seeing Him as the One worthy of our complete devotion. Our extended hands become a symbol not just of receiving from God, but of offering everything back to Him. When we live with this kind of grateful heart, every day becomes an opportunity for worship. Every blessing becomes a reminder of His goodness. Every challenge becomes a chance to trust His sovereignty. This is the heart of true worship - recognizing that He is worthy of our praise not just for what He does, but for who He is.
Bible Verse
'In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.' - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Reflection Question
How can you move from simply receiving God's blessings to truly worshiping Him with a grateful heart?
Quote One of the meanings of the word thankful is with extended hands? It's more than surrender. It's, I am so grateful for all you've done, Jesus.
Prayer
Father, help me to live with extended hands - open to receive Your blessings and ready to offer everything back to You in worship. Transform my heart so that gratitude becomes my natural response to Your goodness. Amen.
Day 5:Surrendering to His Lordship
Devotional The Samaritan leper did something remarkable when he returned to Jesus - he called Him 'Master,' a term typically reserved for disciples. This wasn't just a title of respect; it was a declaration of surrender. He wasn't just grateful for the healing; he was ready to follow the Healer. This is the difference between knowing Jesus as Savior and submitting to Him as Lord. Many people have experienced God's blessings, received His forgiveness, and even witnessed His miracles in their lives. But the question remains: Is He Lord of all areas of your life, or just the areas you're comfortable surrendering? True discipleship requires recognizing that if He's not Lord of all, He's not Lord at all. Surrender isn't a one-time event; it's a daily choice. It's waking up each morning and saying, 'Jesus, You are Master of my relationships, my finances, my career, my dreams, and my fears.' It's the ongoing process of repentance and submission that marks a life truly transformed by His grace. The beautiful truth is that surrendering to His lordship isn't about losing our freedom; it's about finding our true purpose. When we recognize Jesus as Master, we discover that His plans for us are better than anything we could imagine for ourselves. We move from being among the nine who simply received blessings to being the one who returns with a surrendered heart, ready to follow wherever He leads.
Bible Verse
'That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' - Philippians 2:10-11
Reflection Question
What areas of your life are you still holding back from Jesus' lordship, and what would it look like to surrender those areas to Him today?
Quote My pastor used to say, if he's not Lord of all, he's not Lord at all.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I want to call You Master not just with my words, but with my life. Help me to surrender every area to Your lordship. Show me where I'm still holding back, and give me the courage to trust You completely. Amen