Return With Gratitude: Recognizing God’s Mercy in Everyday Life

Ten lepers asked Jesus for mercy, but only one returned to give thanks.

Drawing from Luke 17:11–19 and Lamentations 3:22–23, this message helps us recognize God’s mercy in unfinished situations, familiar blessings, and the results of our daily efforts.

It is a prayerful invitation to let every mercy bring us back to Jesus with gratitude.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Mercy is not only revealed in dramatic miracles. Sometimes it is seen in the ordinary things we now do easily, the places where life has quietly improved, and the difficulties that did not consume us. The question is: will we recognize mercy when we see it? And will it bring us back to God in gratitude? Good morning and welcome to this expression of igniting your day. Lamentations chapter 3, verse 22 to 23 says, It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. Friends, it is through the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. We are still here because his compassion does not fail. That compassion is renewed every morning. Why don't you bless the Lord? Why don't you say thank you to the Lord for the renewable nature of his mercy and compassion towards us? His mercies are unending. Oh Lord, we say thank you. Our central passage this morning is from Luke chapter 17, verse 11 to 19. Jesus encountered ten lepers who stood at a distance and cried out, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they went, they were cleansed, yet only one of them returned. And one of them, when he saw that he has, he was healed, rather, 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 denying? 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. That's from Luke chapter 17, verse 15 to 19. My dear friends, ten people asked God for mercy, but only one returned to give thanks. As we prayed, I saw what appeared to be one person coming back from among many others to say thank you. And that's what led to this passage. I do not know what has changed in your life between last week and now. I do not know what has improved or become easier. Whatever it may be, mercy helped you. Can you be like that one man today? Returning to God and saying, Father, thank you for your mercy. I have come back to say thank you. The first truth I saw in this passage is that not everyone recognizes the effect of mercy when it appears. All ten lepers asked for mercy. All ten were cleansed, yet only one recognized that what has happened required a response of gratitude. Many people do not recognize mercy at work in their lives. They experience its results without understanding the source. Yes, your present circumstances may not be exactly what you wanted. Your current situation may not look exactly like what you prayed for. The quality of life you have today may not be what you imagined when you first desired to live in your present city. But can you recognize that what you have, who you are, and where you are today are still evidence of God's mercy? You may have been praying about your child, and perhaps the present outcome does not yet resemble your prayer. Nevertheless, can you recognize that where you are right now is the result of God's mercy? The journey may not be complete, but mercy has kept you on the journey. Ten lepers cried out for mercy, it showed up as healing, but not the ten of them recognized that their outcome was tied to the mercy they cried out for. Perhaps you have grown accustomed to the blessing itself. Perhaps you know the people whose actions contributed to the outcome. Familiarity can make extraordinary mercy begin to feel ordinary. The fact that something happens easily for you does not mean it is not mercy. The fact that it happens regularly does not mean you should be taken for granted. There are things you now accomplish quickly and almost effortlessly. You may have become so familiar with those abilities that you no longer recognize the grace behind them. Yet the ease with which you do something today may itself be evidence of God's mercy. Where you live is a product of mercy. The strength with which you work is a product of mercy. The opportunities you receive, the people who help you, and the abilities you exercise are all occasions for gratitude. What you presently have may not be what you originally desired or wrote among your goals at the beginning of the year. Nevertheless, where you are right now is still the result of God's mercy. Do not allow familiarity to silence your thanksgiving. Do not allow familiarity to silence your thanksgiving. Familiarity many times can rob people of the desire for gratitude. Why? They could have been too accustomed to how the things they are enjoying today are brought to them. The third truth I saw in the passage is that recognizing the steps that produced an outcome does not mean that outcome was independent of God's mercy. Yes. The ten lepers cried out to Jesus and he gave them a consequential instruction. Go, show yourselves unto the priests. They obeyed, and as they went, they were cleansed. They could identify the action immediately preceding their healing. They walked towards the priest and something happened along the way. Yet, their obedience did not mean that the healing was merely the product of their own action. It was still mercy. The same is true in our lives. You may remember the exact action you took that led to your present result. You may remember adding one thing to another and producing the desired outcome. You may remember going to a particular place where a contract was signed. You may remember calling the meeting, preparing the presentation, making the pitch, gathering people to hear you. Yes, it was your handwriting. Yes, it was your notebook. Yes, you arranged the meeting. Yes, you prepared and delivered the presentation. You took the necessary steps, but the outcome is still a product of mercy. The Bible says in Philippians 2 13, for it is God who works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. If God had not worked within you, you would not have had the will, the wisdom, or the capacity to take the actions that produced the results. Effort and mercy are not enemies. Your diligence does not eliminate God's mercy. Remembering the last consequential action you took does not mean that mercy was absent. My dear friends, you are still enjoying mercy. I'd like you to return to the Lord and say, Lord, I have come back to thank you for your mercy. I remember the work I did, but I recognize the grace that enabled me to do it. I remember the steps I took, but I acknowledge the mercy that gave those steps a fruitful outcome. It is still your mercy. The fourth truth I saw in that passage is that Jesus expects the mercy he shows to bring us back to him, at least for the sake of gratitude. Jesus asked, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Luke chapter 17, verse 17. The question shows us that the nine were also expected to return. Jesus expected the mercy they received to bring them back into his presence. Yet sometimes the very blessing a person requested becomes the thing that takes that person away from God. People pray for an opportunity. They receive it and then allow it to separate them from the one who showed them mercy. They receive the answer but forget to return to the one who gave the answer. Mercy should not carry us away from Jesus. Mercy should bring us back to Him. Look carefully at your life today and say, Lord, I thank you. Lord, I am grateful. I am grateful for the things I now do easily. I recognize that they are possible because of your mercy. I am grateful for the things I accomplished quickly and efficiently. Familiarity will not prevent me from acknowledging you. You chose to show me mercy and you have indeed shown me mercy. Lord, we have come to say thank you. We have come to say that we are grateful. Hallelujah. My dear friends, I do not know how many things you have planned to do today, but I'd like to encourage you, even before you begin any of them, just say, Lord, I thank you, because where I am is by your mercy. My dear friends, I am wishing you this morning an amazing day, and I look forward, I look forward to you having the best time ever today because you recognize the place of God's mercy in your life. I wish you this morning an amazing day ahead.