[lead dropcap="yes"]Over 1,500 women gathered for this summer's VOUS Girl gathering where Pastor DawnCherè Wilkerson shared a message called "The Grateful Road". She uses the story of Jesus healing 10 lepers in Luke 17:11-19 to illustrate four gifts that we'll find on the road of gratitude.
On the grateful road, we find:
Our source
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus cleanses 10 lepers, but only one of them turned back to acknowledge him as the source of the miracle. Oftentimes, when we achieve the desires of our heart, we lose our delight in the Lord.We've never been the source. God has been with us every step of the way, providing for us, comforting us and guiding us, whether our prayers have been answered or not.We may not be where we want to be, but in moments of ingratitude, we can look backwards and find out just how far God has brought us.
Our voice
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; - Luke 17:15Are we as loud about our miracles as we are about our misery? How often do we use our voices to honor those around us?When God answers your prayer, shout about it! We were created to testify about his grace and mercy and to glorify his name. How will people know the good things God is doing in our lives if we don't talk about it?
Our joy
The joy of the Lord is our strength. When we're feeling weak and surrounded with a lack of joy in our lives, we should start being grateful. An attitude of gratitude can bring joy into any and every season of our lives.
Our place
...and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks... - Luke 17:16While ingratitude results in distance from God, gratitude fosters intimacy and closeness. It was the leper's obedience that brought him healing, but his gratitude brought him close to Jesus.This principle applies to all of our relationships. If we want to create closeness with the people in our lives, we can use our voice and speak out our gratitude for them.Even if we've been plagued with ungratefulness in the past, we can choose to walk down the grateful road today. Let's acknowledge our source, speak out our gratitude, be joyful and draw close to God and watch how our relationships and our cities change.
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