Inspiration

There's a story in scripture about how Jesus healed ten lepers. Leprosy, as you probably know, is a terrible skin disorder. Back then, you especially had to hide because no one wanted to be around a leper, but Jesus healed ten of them! Jesus told them, "Go show yourselves to the priest." One of the lepers, as he was going to show himself to the priest, saw that his leprosy had gone! His skin was completely clear. Can you imagine having something so horribly wrong with you and then looking down and realizing the sickness was completely gone? The man got so excited about it that he ran back to Jesus and said, "Look at me, Jesus, I'm healed! Jesus, thank You for healing me!"

Think about this for a minute: Jesus was very aware of who He healed that day. When the leper came back, He said, "Didn't I heal ten and only one came back?" Sometimes we stand in a crowd like this and think, "God is blessing so many people. I'm just part of the crowd." I want you to know today that God is very aware of the blessings that He's placed on your life. He's also very aware of your gratefulness!"

You are not just part of a crowd. God knows exactly who you are! He knows the blessings that He's bestowed upon you, and He wants your grateful heart because your grateful heart will open doors for many more blessings to come.

A parent loves for their child to come and say, "Thank you." When my children come to me and say, "Thank you, Mom. I appreciate that. Can I have something else, Mom?" I'm not thinking, "You greedy kid, what are you doing?" No, I'm saying, "Absolutely!" It makes me want to bless them when they show appreciation. It's the same way with God. He sees our gratefulness, and He's mindful of it. When you are grateful, it shows your faith and trust in Him and opens the door for His hand of blessing to move in every area of your life!