The Promise of Hope

Standing at the intersection between Thanksgiving and Advent, we're invited to examine a profound question that cuts to the heart of our spiritual lives: Are we among the nine or the one? Luke 17 isn't just an ancient story about gratitude—it's a mirror held up to our own hearts. We discover that saying thank you is more than polite courtesy; it's a conscientious spiritual response that recognizes God's hand in our lives. As we look back with thanksgiving at God's first advent and forward with hope to His second coming, we're called to cultivate hearts that don't just receive blessings but conscientiously return to the Source with praise. The question remains uncomfortably relevant: In our crisis moments, do we cry out to God, but then forget Him when relief comes? Or do we, like that one grateful Samaritan, throw ourselves at Jesus' feet in humble recognition of what He's done?