She sits across the coffee table from a friend she hasn’t connected with in years. This friend knows the suffering, pain, and disappointment God has brought her through. The question from her friend hangs in the air between them: “How are you?”
She looks around, tilts her head, squints her eyes, and hopes uttering the words won’t break the spell. She almost whispers, “I’m good…really good.”
Has this ever been you? Have you ever found yourself in a wonderful season where it’s easy to see the gifts from God outweighing the negatives? I know I have. The heaviness of the world is still there; I have friends I’m praying for desperately, but for me and my house right now, everyday life is without major problems.
The Bible answers many of our questions when suffering leaves its mark. In our broken world, grief should be expected at some point, but what about when everything seems to be going mostly right? How do we interact with God and Scripture then?
Thankfully (pun intended), Scripture has an answer for this as well in today’s story of the ten lepers. Ten men were healed of their leprosy. Ten men were released back to society to work for wages, went home to their families and friends, and walked in the streets again. How many thanked Jesus?
One.
I thought thankfulness would roll off of their lips easily. Wouldn’t we do anything for God if He would just answer our prayers? Then we’d have something to be grateful for. But when all is going well, it is very tempting to forget who gave us the blessing in the first place.
God is the One who gives us everything, not our human efforts (Psalm 95:3–5). When we move into a new home or a long-awaited baby is born, we can shout hallelujah! Thank you, Lord, our Creator who makes beautiful things! We don’t have to feel guilty when we experience happiness on this earth. However, we must fill the jars of our hearts with lightning bugs of joy, treasuring up gifts of his eternal faithfulness. His gifts are meant to be enjoyed; they really, truly are. But we return to the core of our joy, that lightning bug inside the jar.
What should we ultimately find joy in? Colossians doesn’t let us forget which treasures we should be storing up, “the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9). All of heaven rejoices when we put our faith in the only One who can save us. Kyle Worley from the Knowing Faith podcast says it this way, “We shout truths about God in the light so we can stand on them in the dark.” Lightning bugs don’t show up as well in the light, but they can’t be missed in the dark. The greatest joy is being saved from death and darkness to eternity and light with Jesus.
“Lightning bugs don’t show up as well in the light, but they can’t be missed in the dark.” I need this on a T-shirt. So so good!
@Gayle Craik, sending prayers for total healing!❤️
@lolly regan, I definitely agree. I want everything that Jesus has done for me cause me to shout for joy more. It has become something that I’m so used to, I almost take it for granted.
@DAWN PRENATT: prayers for the shooting victims and the mother you mentioned back in high school. Heart breaking. BUT GOD!
@LAURA: the cost is steep. Our suffering is but for a moment. Prayers for your sweet children.
@CEE GEE: ❤️
@ADRIENNE: I hope you can find the book of Oswald Chambers, mine has lots of crayons and pencil marks from my baby girl, she wanted to highlight things for her mama :)), and stickers too.
@LOLLY REGAN: for finance, lifting of hardships, and restoration of relationship with parents in law.
@GAYLE CRAIK: healing from cancer. God is faithful. He will do it again for you.
@ELLE K: biopsy result to be clear for your mom.
@BEBE ROGERS: new job soon, new hope, joy and rest as you take a break in the meantime.
@MARI V: your walking friend and lifting of her burdens. May her faith be built through yours.
@MICHELLE PATIRE: car fix, love your outlook despite many repairs! You’re a champ.
@RHONDA J: missing you.
Prayers for US Thanksgiving week over our dear she’s, and precious families, may God bless your reunions, travels, the work of love you shall put in, etc. May we give thanks to our Father and rejoice for the good gifts we have from Him.❤️
@Gayle Craik sending
prayers up for your complete healing.❤️
Only 1 out of 10 returns to give thanks. This is so true, even now. It is so hurtful to stand in God’s position, pouring out blessings, pursuing, healing, providing, to realize human nature’s self- centeredness the moment they got that very blessing. That’s why we need to have a born-again nature, a continually renewed mind through the Daily Word/Bread. There was a marriage conference with a panel of speakers that I tuned in, and one lady said this, if you don’t make time for God when you are single, how are you gonna make time for God when you have a husband…wouldn’t you just serve your husband instead? And why would God give you another idol to distract you from Him? And she said, use that model for anything else we have replaced God with. Do we worship God before the healing & after the healing? Before the husband and after the husband? Before […] and after […] fill in our own blanks. But here, the caution is raised, in good times, in health, in prosperity, in abundance, we let go of God’s hand. And it’s another vicious loop – “the tragedy of forgetting God” -as we finished the study on Judges. It is a real snare. May we not worship the blessings, instead focus on God the Giver of all blessings. Fellowship with God takes love, efforts, all of our heart, mind, soul, strength. Nine out of ten diseased people never want God, they just want to be healed. It is like being approached for your status, or gifted abilities, with earnest pleading, but the person never wants to be your friend afterwards, not even a thank you note or a phone call. I would be sooooo heartbroken! Would you? How about our God? May we repent and give thanks to Him whose love and faithfulness endures forever, to the point of death on the Cross, He gave His best because He loves us. May we give thanks! Be blessed dear sisters.
I just want to be healed for this terrible disease. But GOD are the best two words of the Bible because God can do ALL things! Pray for me, the cancer is back after just 7 months.
Marya, I am so sorry.