EUPHORIA Devotional (The spirit of joy, an ecstasy that comes from God) July 11, 2025 - BE THE GRATEFUL ‘ONE’ REV. AROME E. TOKULA Luke 17:15-16 (MSG) - “One of them, when he REALIZED that he was healed, turned around and came back, SHOUTING HIS GRATITUDE, GLORIFYING GOD.* “16 He kneeled at Jesus' feet, SO GRATEFUL. He COULDN'T THANK HIM ENOUGH—and he was a Samaritan.” Many years ago, the Lord spoke to me and said that a grateful heart is the breeding ground for miracles. You can cultivate a grateful heart by learning to appreciate the things that God does in your life every day instead of trivializing or making light of them. Luke 17:11-19 is a story of ten lepers who met Jesus and asked Him to have mercy on them. Jesus instructed them to go and show themselves to the high priest. It was an act of faith because the Law of Moses demands that you show yourself to the high priest only ‘after’ you have been healed and not ‘before’ (Leviticus 14:2-31). These ten lepers acted on Jesus’ Word and the Bible says that as they went, they were ALL healed (Luke 17:14) but only one who was a Samaritan came back to give thanks! He was so expressive about it that the Bible says, “…He came ‘SHOUTING’ his gratitude…!” There should be expressions of gratitude. Gratitude and thanksgiving aren’t determined by the size of our experiences with God or the volume of things that He does in our lives but actually, by the heart that we cultivate. Some people are thankful to God for the same things that you complain about. These ten lepers were in the same situation and had the same experiences but ONLY one came back and Jesus acknowledged what He came back to do as an act of faith. Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? WHERE ARE THE NINE? Can none be found to COME BACK AND GIVE GLORY TO GOD except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED AND SAVED YOU” (Luke 17:17-19 MSG). Thanksgiving is an act of faith that completes whatever process the Word has started in our lives. Probably the other nine lepers were grateful and ‘forgot’ to come back but they went silent. It could be that they felt it was theirs by right of the covenant as Israelites but the truth remains that the Samaritan who wasn’t considered worthy of the covenant was the person who acknowledged his healing as an act of grace and came back to thank God because thanksgiving *must* be *expressed*. Come out from among the ‘nine’ silent and ungrateful people and be the grateful ‘one.’ Openly thank Jesus for what He does in your life because silence is ingratitude! DECLARE I am that person who will always acknowledge God’s goodness in my life and come back to give God thanks. I will not make light of the Father’s love, kindness and goodness in my life. I will not remain quiet and indifferent; I will always make it known that God is good to me. No more complaining in Jesus' name. PONDER Some people are thankful to God for the same things that you complain about. #IOFWithPastorArome #MorningDevotion #Euphoria #Devotional #July #TheMonthOfGrace #2025_TheChristOurLord