Such a sad story of Jephthah making a vow to God that cost his daughter's life. God did not ask him to make this vow--he did it on his own and the Bible says he carried it out. We are reminded how devastating it could be to have to follow through on something we have promised to God. Recognizing our weakness in following through could help us avoid making promises we cannot keep. Today's reading in Psalm admonishes us to "pay your vows to the Most High". (Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5, to not swear at all.)
One out of ten lepers who were healed returned to give thanks and to glorify God for His healing. The "last days" are known as a time when people will be "unthankful" (2 Timothy 3:2). A thankful attitude serves to change our entire approach to life. It causes us to focus not on ourselves, but on God and the blessings He gives us. The healed leper truly appreciated the fact that Jesus healed him and his heart was filled with gratitude to the point that he fell down on his face at Jesus' feet, glorifying God. What a beautiful picture of thankfulness. Not only was this man's body made well, but he drew near to God with a thankful heart. There is such a wonderful lesson here. God draws near to us by blessing us. May we become more aware of Him by acknowledging Him as the Giver of the blessings we receive and draw near to Him with a thankful heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment