I read recently somewhere that, “persistence will get it, consistency will maintain the gains” and I am adding that “gratitude will open new and effectual doors.”
[Luke 17:11-17 KJV] “And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. [12] And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: [13] And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us”.
[14] “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”.
[15] “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, [16] And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan”.
[17] “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”
Many years ago our Lord Jesus Christ helped ten lepers who cried out to Him for help. They cried for mercy and the Lord had mercy on them. They wanted to be cleansed, so the Lord instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest as the custom was. Only the priest could declare that a leper is cleansed. The Bible tells us that on their way to see the priest, they found out that they were cleansed.
They were nine Jews and one Samaritan. Now, when they found out that they were cleansed, only the Samaritan returned to Jesus to give thanks. The other nine were nowhere to be found, and their thanksgiving did not come either. They took the Lord’s mercy for granted. 
Many of us fall into the deadly trap of ingratitude. We become ungrateful for the little favours we recieve, mostly because we feel entitled to the help we receive. The nine Jews, perhaps, did not return because they felt healing was their right, but the Samaritan returned because he understood that it had been by mercy.
Indeed, as we have started this year, the Lord is going to work many miracles for us. The Lord is going to do many great things for us. I must add that receiving your miracle will take persistence and importunity. As we press on and press in, we will possess many of the things God has declared, persistence always gets the results, but it takes consistency to preserve and maintain the results.
We will have to be consistent. We must remember from where we have fallen, repent, and begin to do the first works with the first love. We must be consistent if we can really preserve the gains. If the righteous stop being righteous, God will not fulfill His promise to him. If the ungodly stop being ungodly, he shall not die anymore. So, it takes consistency to preserve and maintain the gains. Always, k1eep the same rules by which we have gotten this far. The same rules!
Finally, beyond healing, deliverance, and breakthroughs, God has manifold blessings and graces that He wants to give to His children. When we learn to be grateful for little mercies, God begins to open new great and effectual doors. When the Samaritan returned to worship, the Lord declared him whole. God wants us to always return to worship. For instance, don’t attend our Gethsemane Hour service just to recieve a breakthrough and then go and sleep; remember to return to worship.
I want to exhort you to always return to worship; there are many more door that are yet to open, but they will open only to those who know how to say thank you for little mercies and favours. Learn to say thank you to those who smile with you, greet you, and love you.
Be blessed, I love you!
Kofi Simpe
Prayer:
Father, please help me to be grateful for all the little mercies I enjoy, Amen!
