Be Thankful Always

The Other Nine
Luke 17: 11-19

On His way to Jerusalem
Jesus traveled along
The road between Galilee
And Samaria to the North

As He passed into a village
Ten men called out His name
“Jesus, Master, have pity on us
We are leprous, despised and lame”

The Lord showed them compassion
His love reached out to them
“Go show yourselves to the priests”
As they went, the men were cleansed!

The Samaritan returned
Praising God in a loud voice
He threw himself at Jesus’ feet
With thanks, the man rejoiced

The Lord paused to receive him
Like a favored son, adored
As He held the trembling man
Several questions asked the Lord:

“Were not all ten men cleansed?
Where is the other nine?
Was no one found to return and give
Praise to the Lord, divine?”

“Were not all ten men healed?
Why have you come alone?
Are you not a foreigner
Not born of my household?”

“Rise and go!
Your faith has made you well
Your thankfulness reveals a heart
Wherein my Spirit dwells”

“Rise and go!
The Lord has called you blessed
The other nine were never mine
Their fruit is manifest”

On His way to Jerusalem
Jesus met ten leprous men
From a heart filled with compassion
He healed all ten of them

One man came back to thank Him
The other nine did not return
May we develop thankful hearts
And from this lesson learn

A.Wayne Gill

Does God Still Speak?

In the first chapter of my book “The Runner” Michael Knight thinks he may have heard the voice of God. My question is: Does God still speak? And if He does, then how, when and where does He speak? And how can we know its God and not just ourselves? I know that I’m not the only one asking these questions because I’ve heard them many times over the years.

In the Scriptures, there are a few places where God the Father is depicted as speaking audibly and in the New Testament, Jesus preached to multitudes and taught in synagogues. But what about today? How do we hear from God? No one can fully answer that but let me offer a few suggestions.

In this day and hour, I believe that God speaks through His Spirit, His Word, His people and the circumstances of life. For me, it’s never just one of these things – it’s usually a combination or all of the above. If I am searching for direction in a particular area of my life, I may start out by praying about the issue. As I begin praying, I might either search the Scriptures for anything that speaks to the issue or I may just come across something in my regular reading that makes me stop and think.

If I am patient, and I continue to pray and meditate on the Scripture, my inner person will become sensitive to “the still, small voice of God” that begins to give me direction. This direction is often reinforced by conversations with other Spirit-filled believers or by the circumstances. For example, if you are praying about an issue, does your direction line up with the Scripture? Do you feel a sense of peace about your decision or are you in turmoil? Are the doors of opportunity open or slammed shut? What is the advice of those older and wiser than you?

If we will take the time to pray, meditate and search the Scriptures, and if we are open to wise counsel, then over time, we will begin to feel the wind of God. He will provide guidance and leading on our decisions. The problem is that we often fail to get quiet enough to listen, or we don’t ask at all. We can also get so tied into our own direction that we miss clear but contrary instructions.

Does God still speak? I believe the answer is yes. Are we really listening? Maybe not. What do you say?