April 28 Family Devotional

(Taken from YouVersion Bible Plan: “Thankfulness is as Thankfulness Does”
I had the kiddos (our students/youth) read it a few weeks ago – enjoy!

-Robin Wiley

Scripture
Luke 17:12-19 (ESV).
12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”[

For the Adults:
The words, “Thank you,” can easily become a lifeless, mechanical kneejerk reaction that is spoken with precious little thought, meaning, appreciation, or integrity. What “Thank you” should be is an intentional expression of sincere gratitude that communicates the intent of a thankful heart regardless of how big or small the deep inspiring the “thanks” maybe. It is easy to think that the Lord has other, more lofty concerns on His mind and doesn’t need or isn’t concerned about our expressions of gratitude.

Nothing could be further from the truth. He takes notice of whether or not we appreciate His gifts to us just as any parent notices if their child appreciates a gift or callously just wants more, disregarding their tangible expression of love.

This is evident in Luke 17:12-19 which depicts Jesus healing ten lepers upon their pleading with Him to have mercy on them. As they turned and went to show themselves to the priests at Jesus’ command, that’s when their healing occurred. Nine of the ten kept going, rejoicing in their gift, but one stopped to thank the Giver. He “…he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.”

However, the other nine didn’t escape the Lord’s notice. He was quick to ask where they were, implying that He was wondering why they weren’t grateful enough for the gift of healing they had just received to also thank Him.

Over and over the Bible enjoins us to give thanks to the Lord – in Psalm 107 alone, the psalmist cries out for us to “…give thanks to the Lord” (NIV) some five times. And just as the tenth healed leper’s thankful actions spoke louder than any words ever could have, we need to express our thankfulness to God with more than just talk.

Thankfulness is as thankfulness does!!

Thus, every day can be a day of thanksgiving as we show the Giver how thankful we are for His unsearchable gifts and goodness.

“Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” (Psalm 107:8) For we are ALL the children of man – but more importantly – of God!

For the kiddos:

Enter:

· What is God saying to you through His Word and this story read today?

· What stands out to you the most in this story?

· What do you think happened to the other 9 lepers who were healed?

Hear:
Read the Bible Passages. (Luke 17:12-19 and Psalm 107:8-15 (ESV)) For younger children, a picture Bible may be used.

Pause
Take a few seconds, or maybe a minute to sit with the scripture in silence. With little ones, it may be a ten count, but we can sit still and let God’s word work in their hearts!

Wonder:·

What was the best gift you were ever given?
What gifts do you possess right now that you could be thankful for (ie: gift of singing, music, drawing, being a fast runer, etc.)? Who ultimately gave them to you?

Bless:
Affirm what was discussed about the story.

Make a list of everything you are thankful for in your life. Express your gratitude to the one that made you, our great creator God, and your parents too J. Look for ways you can use your talents and gifts for helping others around you and also for God.

Praise God, Give thanks, Pray for others, confess sins, Praise God!

Example:
Father God, we should always be thankful to you for our lives and waking up to a new day. Thank for loving us so much that you gave us your son, Jesus, who is our Savior and through Him, we have eternal life. Thank you for the talents you gave to each of us. Show us how we can use these gifts to further your kingdom here on earth. Thank you for our family too. In Jesus’ name – Amen.