Working Your Way Through Rhythms of Grace

Deuteronomy 8:10–14 – “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord… Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God… Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down… then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God.”

There is a recurring cycle in the Bible, one that demonstrates the fragile relationship between God and man, that goes something like this:

There’s a need → People turn to God → God helps them → They feel good → They forget about God → Repeat

Quiz time: When do people turn to God? When do they forget about God?

There are so many Bible stories to reference, but today we’ll dive into Luke 17. As Jesus was traveling along the border of Samaria (a place where the land and the people were considered to be “less than”), He heard a group of lepers calling out to Him. They had been banished due to their disease, and it was understood they wouldn’t get near anyone. They were the “lowest of the low,” so to speak. And leave it to our Jesus to give them the time of day. Grace upon grace from our King. Anyway, they called out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” (verse 13). Jesus did just that. He cleansed (healed) them, and they went to show themselves to the priests, as He had instructed.

There were ten lepers. One came back to say thank you.

Jesus responds to this lack of gratitude by saying, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” You see, they were at the “they feel good” part of the cycle and, as we just determined, that is so often followed by the dreadfully unfortunate “they forget about God” phase.

Friend, what phase are you in today?

God wants all of His children home with Him, in His Kingdom that has no end. That is His ultimate goal. Revelation 7:9–10 reveals this image to us: “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne.”

If this is what we know to be true, then we will continue to see intense needs, struggles, and opportunities for us to turn toward the great Healer, mighty Counselor, and everlasting Father of peace. For where there is a need, there is an opportunity to grow in relationship with God. It’s so hard to grasp that if you are the one in the stage of deep struggle. But friend, that’s where God sits. Let it be so. As Christians, we are called to enlist one another to persevere through this cycle, never forgetting that we are all Homeward bound. Listen to those around you, assess where they are in their journey, and help them turn to God. Pray with them, pray for them, remind them of the greater purpose we all have while we are here: to get Home. To get others Home. May God bless it.

Prayer:
My Father, the rhythms of this world are tiresome, and I have grown weary. Even I tend to forget about You when things seem easy. Forgive me. In everything I do and everyone I see, let it be You. Use me to get others Home. Enlist Your Spirit to walk with me through all of my days so I am able to glorify You and all of Your works. Amen.