Where Are The Nine

Luke 17:11-19: "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?   There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."

#1 Have you ever been praying about something that really mattered to you, and while praying, all you could see were flashes of people who needed spiritual help? I can recall giving up on fellowship a few times because it seems like I could never get a chance to express what's on my heart to God. My fellowship time was always consumed with thoughts on other people!

If this has happened with you, the excerpt from Luke 17 is testifying of you! You are that one out of many who was healed from the sickness of sin, and now spend the rest of your days glorifying God. You are whole, complete, lacking nothing. Jesus feels comfortable enough, and trusts you enough to share his concerns with you. His response of showing you others is his way of saying, "I'm not worried for you right now, but for those who did not instinctively return to say thanks".

So don't stop yourself the next time your focus seems to "drift from the point" to someone who isn't whole; instead, allow it. Ask the Holy Spirit: where is he/she? What are they doing that's preventing them from coming back to glorify you? If you do this prayerfully, listening and waiting for God's response, He will begin to show you the hearts of His people.