By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, April 2014 General Conference
Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks…all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good…
Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
All ten lepers where cleansed/healed by their exercising faith in Jesus Christ when Jesus said go show thyselves to the Priest and they were cleansed/healed from leporsy. The purpose of life is to not to avoid suffering, or when we get bit by poisons serpents to look at the brazen serpent on a pole which symbolizes Jesus Christ. No, healing by Jesus is truthly a miracle, but what we really want is a relationship with Jesus, to be grateful for his mercy and come to know him through our suffering and obedience and eventually be as he is. Those who do this are symbolized by the one leper who turned back and gave thanks to God. He is the one who was truly healed, that is made whole by both his faith and gratitude to Jesus. Do you image he will go back to the comfort of sin and whatever got him in the bondage of leprosy? Or do you feel he is a changed, new man, who is forever grateful for Jesus?
And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, thate he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that we lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
Luke 17:11-19
Made Whole by Faith and Gratitude to Jesus
The woman with an issue of blood 12 years touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak which healed her disease. That took great faith. Jesus not only wants to heal us, but even more completely, to make us whole. And that could not happen until she expressed her gratitude to Jesus.
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue [power] is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort [courage, cheer]: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
Luke 8:43-48
Do I approach God from behind, fearful he won’t recognize me or even worse, he will reject me. Yet, I must come to him as he is the way. Do I get blessings from him but fail to thank him?
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Mark 5:25-34
References
- Grateful in Any Circumstances by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2014 General Conference
Healing Power of Gratitude by President Russell M. Nelson
Give thanks for our trials. Turn social media into my own gratitude journal. Here President Nelson pray – thank you for planets and stars, thy mercy and watch care, pray for relief of political strive. #GiveThanks see PowerofGratitude.org
Counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems
The Healing Power of Gratitude by President Russell M. Nelson
The Story behind My Global Prayer of Gratitude by President Russell M. Nelson
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