God’s Gracious Provision—Thanksgiving Day 2023

This is the question of the Lord Jesus after He has healed the ten lepers who had met Him near the end of His prophetic ministry as He traveled to Jerusalem. In accordance with God’s command, because of their leprosy, these ten were separated from other people. Yet, they had a common need, stemming from their miserable situation. Thus, their cry, “Master, have mercy on us.” Christ graciously heard their cry and granted a wondrous healing in regard to their bodily needs.

We, also, have been granted to lay our needs before the Lord on Prayer Day. Now a season has passed in which God’s mercy has been evidenced. As these lepers bore the consequences of sin, so also among our readers there will have been a wide range of circumstances between adversity and prosperity. Yet, God’s undeserved goodness has been given, and as these ten lepers were granted a great temporal blessing, so also the Lord has supplied our daily needs. “The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). How have we returned to God’s house on Thanksgiving Day? A true cry for mercy, which is God’s unmerited favor, can only be seen in light of the knowledge of our condemnable state in Adam. Was there a true prayer day given this past season?

The disease of leprosy is a picture of original sin in our covenant-head Adam. Leprosy would reveal itself as a small white spot and, although not immediately deadly, due to its incurable nature would end in death. It excluded the afflicted not only from society but also from the temple worship, thus excluding from that which testified of communion with God. Has that become your grief this past season? Separated from the communion with God due to your sin in Adam? Subject to a threefold death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal? Dear reader, the compassion of Christ was evident to all ten lepers, “But where are the nine?”

In obedience all ten had followed the command of Christ to go and show themselves to the priest. They turned, not doubting God’s omnipotence, His ability to provide a cure; faith was evidenced in all ten of the lepers that the Lord would surely grant all that they needed, but was it true saving faith? Perhaps your hope and expectation also were in the Lord, and now you may say He has graciously provided. The Lord is faithful to His Word (Genesis 8:22). Now, on Thanksgiving Day the question in light of the blessings received remains—is there true saving faith? Is it also your strife? What a weight that lies upon us, “But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18b).

“But where are the nine?” was the accusation of the Lord Jesus when it was revealed that true faith was missing in their life because the fruits of gratitude were not seen. Had He not healed them all? Had He not provided for all of their needs? Had He not shown His wonders? Why were they not at His feet in holy admiration? Beloved, did He not give all, even His very life for that which had been promised Him from eternity? “Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession” (Psalm 2:8). The message of God’s compassion for spiritual lepers has come to us this past season. Through His coming in the flesh as very God and very man, “He became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9b).

In obedience ten had gone to the priest, and as they were going a wonder had taken place; “they were cleansed,” healed. It was unheard of, for there was no known cure for leprosy! In our thoughts we see them travel together in awe and amazement; who can fathom what they had received? Surely, they have gone to the priest with the necessary offering and gone to their relatives with great joy. Were there not reasons to be joyful? Let us never confuse temporary joy with true gratitude; that joy is focused on the temporal benefits and ends in self with the benefits received, missing the Great Benefactor altogether. “Where are the nine?” is a question which displays our sin from Paradise—ingratitude to God. They had no spiritual eye to see who it was that had healed them. Have your eyes been opened to see that we are blind for the only Prophet, Priest, and King in whom alone God is glorified? By nature, we are as those nine, content in the daily benefits, perhaps marveling at the mercies of God, yet contentedly embracing our eternal ruin.

Dear reader, are you one of the nine? It is a question that searches the heart. Yet now we read, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back.” Further we read, “And he was a Samaritan.” How humbling for the Jews, who had rejected Christ, that a despised Samaritan should be pointed out. The Lord had opened the eyes of an outcast to see whom it was who had healed him. He could not fathom the wonder, and he must first return to render his thanks to his Benefactor. “With a loud voice he glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet.” An incomprehensible wonder had been wrought; the divine Giver must be acknowledged in humility. What a blessed proof for a loathsome sinner, “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

One leper is granted to see savingly the wondrous healing he received of Christ who, as Paul writes to the Hebrews, “can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity” (Hebrews 5:2). It is through Him alone that a Triune God is glorified and through His merits alone that true gratitude can be rendered. “There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” That rare fruit of true gratitude, is it also your burden, sorrow, and grief? Have you learned by uncovering grace that all is forfeited from our side? As for gratitude, perhaps you say, “Lord, how must that go on Thanksgiving Day?”

“There are not found that returned to give glory to God.” Should He not receive the honor? Beloved, Christ has honored His Father in all things, “For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (John 6:38). Through His active and passive obedience, He has glorified His Father, and in this returning leper He may also rejoice upon the fruit of His earthly labors. “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11). His work is extolled in the heart of this leper by a true saving faith in Him who is the praying, interceding, and thanking High Priest. Dear reader, has He become indispensable? Has your heart of ingratitude been turned to Him who alone had God’s honor in view? Do you know something of the fruits of His seeking love? “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Thanksgiving Day 2023—He who searches the heart comes with the question, “Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” Or has it become by His instruction, “From Me is thy fruit found”?

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Terug naar resultaten Printen