The RefineryNovember 26 (Thanksgiving Day) · Biblical Focus: The Grateful Samaritan
Luke 17:15–16 (NLT)
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
On this Thanksgiving Day, read Luke 17:11–19. Ten men with leprosy cried out to Jesus for mercy. All ten were healed. Only one came back to say thank you.
Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?" (v. 17). It is one of the saddest questions in the Gospels.
Notice the difference between the nine and the one. All ten received the same miracle. All ten were cleansed. But only one was transformed. To him alone Jesus said, "Your faith has healed you" (v. 19). The nine received a gift. The one received the Giver.
This is a sobering picture. It is possible to receive God's blessings and remain untouched by God Himself. To take the healing and hurry on with life. To pray desperately in the crisis and forget Him in the relief.
Gratitude is one of the clearest marks of a transformed heart. An ungrateful heart is still centered on itself: what I need, what I lack, what I deserve. A grateful heart is turned outward and upward, toward the One who gives.
Today, as you gather around tables, do not be one of the nine. Come back. Fall at His feet. Thank Him, not only for His gifts, but for Himself, and for every way He has changed you this year.
The Practice of Transformation
Before your Thanksgiving meal, write down ten specific ways God has worked in your life this year, especially ways He has changed you. Share at least one of them aloud with those at your table.
✦ Reflection ✦
What answered prayer have you never come back to thank God for?
Prayer: Lord, I come back to You today. Thank You for every gift, and most of all for Yourself. Amen.
Nine received a gift. One received the Giver.
Help Choose Our 2027 Devotional
As this year of Wrapped in His Presence comes to a close, we're praying about where the Lord is leading us next, and I'd love your help deciding. There are three possible journeys for 2027:
- Refined: The Refiner's Fire (Malachi 3:2–3)
- Abiding Fruit: From Presence to Overflow (Galatians 5:22–23)
- Wounded to Carry: The Ministry of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:4)
Please pray over them, then vote here for the one that stirs your spirit.