The Daily Devotional of the Upper Room of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Small Expressions" for Saturday, 9 April 2016 with Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

The Daily Devotional of the Upper Room of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Small Expressions" for Saturday, 9 April 2016 with Scripture: Luke 17:11 On his way to Yerushalayim, Yeshua passed along the border country between Shomron and the Galil. 12 As he entered one of the villages, ten men afflicted with tzara‘at met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out, “Yeshua! Rabbi! Have pity on us!” 14 On seeing them, he said, “Go and let the cohanim examine you!” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, as soon as he noticed that he had been healed, returned shouting praises to God, 16 and fell on his face at Yeshua’s feet to thank him. Now he was from Shomron. 17 Yeshua said, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found coming back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And to the man from Shomron he said, “Get up, you may go; your trust has saved you.”
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift![2 Corinthians 9:15 (NRSV)]
I had never formed the habit of saying grace before meals. I had always just assumed that if I could earn the money to buy food, why should I thank anyone else for it? But after a series of physical and financial setbacks I began to be more grateful for what I had. My wife and I now give thanks before each meal as a sign of gratitude for the ways God has blessed us.
One day in a local restaurant after finishing our meal, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw a man smiling at me. He said, “It’s so refreshing to see someone giving thanks to God, when so many others just take what they have for granted.” Even small expressions of gratitude can have a powerful effect. It doesn’t take a lot of effort. For all God gives us and for the example we show others when we express our appreciation for God’s gifts, giving thanks is truly worth the time.
The Author:
Mark A. Carter (Texas, USA)
Thought for the Day: Saying “thank you” to God is never a wasted effort.
Prayer: Dear Lord, may we never forget that you are the source of our every blessing. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:2-4, KJV). Amen.
Prayer focus: Restaurant servers

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