I MEANT TO GO BACK

The Gospel of Luke, the 17th chapter, verses 11 through 19, tells the story of Jesus healing ten lepers. Only one of the ten returned with an expression of thanksgiving. This poem suggests what might have been thought by one of the other nine. It just may help us to have right thoughts in this Thanksgiving Season.

“I Meant to Go Back, I meant to go back, but you may guess, I was filled with amazement I cannot express. To think that after those horrible years, that passion of loathing and passion of fears, by sores unendurable, eaten, defiled, my flesh was as smooth as the flesh of a child. I was drunken with joy, I was crazy with glee, I could scarcely walk and scarcely could see. For the dazzle of sunshine where all had been black. But, I meant to go back. Oh, I meant to go back. I had thought to return when my people came out. There were tears of rejoicing and laughter and shout. They embraced me, for years I had not known a kiss; ah, the pressure of lip is an exquisite bliss. They crowded around me, they filled the whole place. They looked at my feet and my hands and my face. My children were there and my glorious wife and all the forgotten allurements of life. My cup was so full I seemed nothing to lack. But, I meant to go back. Oh, I meant to go back.”                            Author Unknown

Here is a story that tugs at our hearts, but with a great deal of uncomfortableness. If we are sensitive in the least, we can feel the heartache of Jesus in this situation. What disappointment rings in the words and voice of Jesus as He says, Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? Luke 17: 17
Let’s pursue the question of Jesus, Where are the nine? It does not say in scripture as to where they were. That is not important. What matters is, where they were not. Why weren’t they at the feet of Jesus? Nine out of ten didn’t so much as return to thank Jesus. What a tragic situation. What a lack of gratitude on the part of man then and now.
There is no excuse for a lack of respect, courtesy, thankfulness. How it must hurt and disappoint Jesus today, when those to whom He has given so much do not honor Him with thanksgiving and praise. It is sinful to be lacking in gratitude to God. Have you counted your blessings recently? Count them, name them, one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Physical and material blessings abound for most of us. But, those are not the primary blessings from God. His infinite kindness is shown in His love for us, by sending His Son to save us. Faith, hope, love, forgiveness of sins, peace of mind, member of God’s family, an eternal Home to come. These are the real blessings that matter regardless of how rich we are materially or how healthy we are physically. We need to acknowledge that the real source of our blessings is God: He gave life, He sustains life, and He saves life. Give Him thanks.

Gratitude is humanity’s minimum response to divine grace. True thanksgiving is thanks living.

THE BACK NINE

I’ve never played golf in my life.  Oh, I have been a ‘duffer’ at times carry the bag of clubs, chasing balls. But, when I read about the “Back Nine” on the internet, it struck home.  Let me share some of it with you.  The “Back Nine” are the last holes as you finish the game of golf.

“Here it is, The “Back Nine” of my life and it catches me by surprise.  How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?  So now I have entered into this new season of my life. I was not prepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did.
We are now those older folks that we use to see and never thought we would become.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day. And taking a nap is not a treat anymore, it’s mandatory.  Cause if I don’t on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit.  You see, I am on the “Back Nine” and know it.  I am not sure how long it is going to last…this I  know that when it is over on this earth, a new adventure will begin.

So, if you’re not on the “Back Nine” yet, let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life do it quickly. Life goes by so fast. Life is a gift to you. The way you live it is your gift to God and to all those who know you.   Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, yet the youngest you’ll ever be so enjoy this day while it lasts.

It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.
Life is on down the road and for the Christian the best is yet to come.

THE U IN JESUS

“Before U were thought of or time had begun, God stuck U in the name of His Son.

And each time U pray, you’ll see it’s true, You can’t spell out JesUs and not include U.
You’re a pretty big part of His wonderful name, For U, He was born; that’s why He came.

And His great love for U is the reason He died. It even takes U to spell crUcified.
Isn’t it thrilling and splendidly grand He rose from the dead, with U in His plan?

The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew, and this word resurrection is spelled with a U.

When JesUs left earth at His Upward ascension, He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.

“Go into the world and tell them it’s true that I love them all – just like I love U.

So many great  people are spelled with a U, Don’t they have a right to know JesUs too?

It all depends now on what U will do,
He’d like them to know
But it all starts with U.”                                 Selected

It can all be summed up in the scripture that we love, JOHN 3:16-17:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” :

FATHER, I WANTED A CAR, NOT A BIBLE

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college.  He wanted a beautiful sports car and he knew that his dad could afford it so he asked him for it. The day of graduation, his father called him into his private study.  He told him how proud he was of him and handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with his name embossed in gold.  Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible.”  He stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible behind.

Many years went by without seeing his father. One day he got the message that his father had died and he needed to come home and take care of things. When he arrived at his father’s house, sadness and regret filled his heart.  He began to search through his father’s important documents and saw the Bible, new, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and bagan to turn the pages.  His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matthew 7:11, “And if you being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father whch is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?”

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible.  It had a tag with the dealers name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired.  On the tag was the date of his graduation and the words…PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God’s blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?                                                Selected

God wants to talk with us.  He has given us His Word.  It is in the Bible.  Listen to Him.