Paula White Ministries | Home

Paula White Ministries | Home

DEVOTIONAL February 25: The Samaritan Returns

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan." Luke 17:15,16

Ten lepers were fortunate enough to have Jesus walk past their solitary fortress. Lepers were required to call out to bypassers to warn them not to come near, for they were carriers of a contagious skin disease. When they called out to warn Jesus, they recognized who He was and had already heard of His miracles in the nearby city. Jesus gave a command to the lepers to go and show themselves to the priests. The law gave specific details concerning skin diseases. If a recurrence of the disease took place, you had to show yourself to the priest before you re-entered society. Because of Jesus' reputation of the miraculous, they immediately acted upon His declaration of the healing. But it was not until they were on their way that they were healed. Nine of them continued to go to the priest so they could be released to normality. They were apparently more interested in getting back to their lives than giving thanks. One of the nine was an outcast, a Samaritan. He was the most likely to ignore Jesus and go on his way. He did not allow his religious difference nor his love for the world to hinder him from showing his gratitude. In true humility, he bowed at Jesus' feet.

His first priority was to give thanks.

Is that what is most important to you? To give thanks? What has most priority to you? Make a list of things that you are thankful for and praise God first.

"That which is looked at longest becomes strongest."