He Is Waiting

“Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?  Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Lu.17:17-18 [emphasis added]

Our God is an action God. He is always doing stuff. He is always creating. He is always in motion. When Jesus walked physically on the earth, He was going everywhere healing the sick, raising the dead, delivering the captive. So we are accustomed to a God that does stuff; we are accustomed to an ever-active God. In fact, when we need things done in our lives we run to Jesus because we know that He is the only one that can do the things we want done. But we really sometimes cannot wrap our minds around the God that waits, the God that waits for us. Jesus does not only act, sometimes Jesus waits. We are familiar with waiting on God but many of us are not familiar with being waited on by God. What am I saying? I am saying Jesus is waiting for you. Waiting for you to do what? Over the next few days we will be exploring four things Jesus is waiting for us to do.

#1. Jesus is waiting for you and I to show gratitude. He has done His own part and He is waiting for you to show up with some gratitude. How do I know that? Please read Luke 17:11-19. As soon as one of the lepers saw that he was cleansed he came back to Jesus. And the remaining nine? I doubt they even went to the temple. “ Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?” Lu.17:17 [emphasis added]. If this verse were not there, it would not be clear that Jesus was actually waiting for them to come back. Many times, God will not demand that you give your testimony, or come and give Him praise, or come and give Him glory, but He is expecting it. He is waiting. Someone shared a testimony with me once and I urged the person to testify before the congregation. And the person said, ‘people like us don’t come out in front of people and just talk like that; we are the cool generation’. The nine lepers could say, ‘why do we have to come back to Jesus? We can give glory to God on our way, can’t we? After all we are going to the temple. That is a statutory thing; we can go to the temple and just tell the priest’. Someone said, ‘God healed me in my house fellowship while we were praying’. And I said to the person, ‘then go to your house fellowship and testify’. And the person said, ‘why should I go to the house fellowship to testify, I’ll testify to my friends at work’. It is good to tell your friends at work but go to the fellowship and testify. Why? It is because Jesus is waiting for you there; that is where He healed you.

Thought: Have you kept Jesus waiting? Perhaps it’s time to devote time to thanksgiving.

Prayer: Father, I repent for every time that I have not returned to show gratitude. Teach me by Your Spirit what I must do to make it right by You, in Jesus Name.