The Winning Ticket

DEVOTIONS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Winning Ticket

Every so often, the Powerball jackpot grabs headlines across the nation.  With every rollover, the prize can skyrocket past a billion dollars! Despite the slim odds, people who never give the lottery a second thought suddenly rush out to buy a ticket.

And yet, the moment the jackpot drops back to “only” $20 million, all the interest fades.  Nobody cares about $20,000,000. It’s a strange reminder of how easily we overlook value once it feels ordinary. 

In Luke 17, ten men with leprosy faced even worse odds than the lottery.  Their chances for recovery?  Zero.  Still, they dared to “buy a ticket” of faith in hopes of a miracle.  When they saw Jesus in the distance, they cried out, “Master, have mercy on us!”  (v13).

These men had lived in constant pain, rejection, and isolation.  But that day, they hit the jackpot. Jesus fulfilled all their hopes and dreams, giving them complete healing! 

Jesus told the men to go show themselves to the priests in compliance with the Law (Leviticus 14:2-5).  They hurried off in obedience, eager to begin their new lives.  But one paused when he saw that he was healed.  A deep sense of thankfulness pulled him back to Jesus.  He fell at His feet and glorified God.  He understood that the true winning ticket wasn’t just the miracle itself and the changed life that came with it.  It was the Savior who gave it.

Jesus noticed the one who returned, but also the ones who didn’t.  “Didn’t I heal ten men?”  He asked.  “Where are the other nine?”  (v17).

It’s easy to shake our heads at the ingratitude of the other nine.  But how often do we also forget to pause and thank the Lord?  For salvation, for health, provision, forgiveness, answered prayers, strength for hard times...  

It’s not that we’re ungrateful.  Like the lepers, we may be excited about Jesus.  We may rush to obey Him and tell others what He’s done for us.  But there’s a difference in returning, on our own, to worship Him.  Sometimes we move on too quickly and miss the moment to turn back and fall at His feet — to offer praise and simple thanks to the Person who gave us life.

This Thanksgiving, we’re reminded that giving thanks is not a one-day event or a polite social gesture.  It’s a spiritual act.  It’s an acknowledgment that every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), and that the Giver Himself is worthy of our worship.

Let’s not be among the nine who forgot.  Let’s be like the one who turned back and fell at the feet of Jesus.  He’s the true winning ticket — the source of all blessings.

— Ron Reid