Down in the Dust

 This past week I read the story about Jesus healing ten lepers. 9 went on their way rejoicing never to return. One came back to thank Jesus. That is when I read the biblical account of this one bowing his face to the dust in a sign of humility and gratitude. 

When is the last time we bowed down in the dust in humility before our Great King? I readily admit that there are some who cannot do so because of health issues. That certainly does not describe most of us. We are physically able but spiritually unwilling. There are more Sundays with empty altars after the sermon than there are with people on their knees. We will stand in worship. We will sit to sing. How many times do we bow before Him? 

We are a proud people. Proud people do not like to bow. Bowing means admitting that you are subservient and inferior before a superior Master. In our case Jesus. We are proud of our successes, our accomplishments, our abilities, our knowledge and our skill. All of that comes from God. Without air in lungs, blood pumping through our heart, and strength to strive forward none of these things would happen. God is opposed to proud people. That means God is opposed to many of us. Too proud to bow our knees and lower our faces in the dust. May we repent and correct this immediately. 

Are we truly a grateful people? I know we say all the right things this time of year. Are we truly thankful for the things God does? I pray with a group of men each Sunday morning before Bible study classes and worship begin. One man in particular starts his every prayer with thanks. It is easy to take things for granted. To take God's blessing for granted. For instance, when is the last time we thanked Him for sight, the ability to breathe, the ability to be mobile, the ability to think clearly. For each of those things I listed I can think of people who do not have any of those things. Things we often take for granted. 

Things like abundance of food, water, shelter, clothing, transportation, education, and the gift to wake up each day. Any of these should make us want to bow down in the dust in gratitude. What about our salvation. You may have been saved for decades or merely a few days. Are you still humbly grateful?

We should strive to be like the one thankful leper and not the other nine. I was taught it is polite to say thank you. How rude that at times we do not thank God properly. It is time to get down in the dust.