Living as the One Who Came Back

My chronological Bible reading placed me in Luke 17 recently—a passage I’ve read many times. Yet this time, I was convicted me in a fresh way:

But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. Luke 17:15-16

Out of ten men healed of leprosy, only one returned to worship Jesus for the miracle. After years of isolation and the heavy humiliation of their illness, only one came back. Ironically, it was the “outsider”—the Samaritan—rather than the expected followers.

I realize how often I mirror the other nine. Whether big or small, every gift from the Lord is exactly that—a gift. Ignoring someone who gives me a gift, offering no thank-you note or even a text, would be incredibly rude. Why, then, do I sometimes treat Jesus with less courtesy than a friend?

While I try to practice daily gratitude by writing in a “thankfulness” notebook, alongside that gratitude, I often find myself quickly asking for something else—something beyond what He has already provided. This constant “asking” often feels like it discounts the very things I just claimed to be thankful for.

This passage reminded me that my posture needs to shift. I pray that by the end of 2026, I will be more rooted in thankfulness and less consumed by the “other.” If I spent more time dwelling on what He has provided, I’d have much less room to fret over what He hasn’t.

Perhaps I’m preaching only to myself—I needed this reminder! But you may need this reminder too. Start a “thankfulness” journal. You can still ask God for the things you hope for or long to see happen—but don’t forget to look around, see all that you already have, and like the healed leper, let’s find our way back to His feet, give thanks, and glorify Him.

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