WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
OCTOBER 12, 2021
TOPIC: ALWAYS RETURN TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD
BY T. O. BANSO
“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?’” (Luke 17:17-18 New King James Version)
Many people are guilty of ingratitude. They’re ungrateful to God and their human benefactors.
Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers is a popular story. He met them as He was entering a certain village. They cried to Him to have mercy on them. He did and told them to go and show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14). Only the priests could declare that they had been healed (Leviticus 14:1-4).
While they were on their way to the priest, one of them saw he had been healed. He returned, and with a loud voice, glorified God. This grateful leper was a Samaritan. Jesus responded to his gratitude this way: “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?” (Verse 17 New King James Version).
Jesus must have been touched by this foreigner’s (Samaritan’s) show of gratitude. In that one verse alone, Jesus asked three questions! Please, read the verse again. That also shows how deeply he felt about the ingratitude of the nine lepers, who, obviously, were Jews, since He described the grateful leper as a foreigner.
The other lepers should have returned also when they saw that they had been healed. They could go back to the priests later. After all, it was not the priests that healed them and they had no prior appointment with them. The priests weren’t expecting them. However, they didn’t return to give glory to God. There is no record they returned later!
Always return to give glory to God. Be like Hannah, who returned to Shiloh to give glory to God for the gift of Samuel, and to redeem her vow. Hannah said to Eli, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition, which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:26-28a New King James Version).
Don’t disappear like a shadow. Some people would say it’s God who did it, and not any man of God. It is true. But where God has chosen to use a man of God to actualize your miracle, it’s only proper to let him know that His God has done it. Hannah did so. The man of God will join you in thanking God. Your testimony will also serve as an encouragement to him that his ministry is a blessing to people. Satan often attacks the servants of God with discouragement to make them quit.
It’s not enough to thank God secretly, and say God did it. Yes, He did it, using His servant. The true servants of God won’t touch the glory that belongs to God alone. They won’t take credit for what God has done. “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1 New International Version).
However, it’s a worse thing that some people neither thank God nor tell His servants what God has done! They just enjoy their miracles or answers to prayer without thanking God. Some of them give credit for the answers to their prayer to the price they paid! They magnify and emphasize their prayer and fasting, sometimes their marathon fasting! But what are prayer and fasting if there is no God who answers prayers? Would you want God to allow you to repeat that prayer and fasting another time without His input?
James 1:17 says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. God is worthy to receive glory and honour and power, for He crreated all things and by His will they exist and were created (Revelation 4:11).
Don’t be an ingrate. Don’t receive God’s blessings and say bye-bye to Him and His servant, waiting for another time you’ll need them! Return to give glory to God.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I repent of my past ingratitude. Forgive me in any way I have taken credit for what You have done or failed to thank You properly. I shall no more be ungrateful, but always return to give glory to You. Help me, Holy Spirit.
(For over 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
