Disability in the Bible: Life Lessons for Us AllSample

The Woman Who Praised God

People in the disability community are quite familiar with milestones and goal setting. Therapists, counselors, and teachers have lots of checkpoints and goals to reach or next steps to take. Most people love the feeling of developing a new skill!

And once you reach a goal, what do you do right afterward? 

You may …

Post something on social media. 

Text your family or best friends.

Go out for ice cream or some kind of treat.  

And nothing is wrong with doing any of those things, but the woman in today’s reading from Luke chapter 13 teaches the first thing you should do is … 

Praise God. 

This woman was unable to stand up straight. She had been bent over for 18 years. When Jesus healed her, “immediately she straightened up and praised God” (Luke 13:13 NIV). 

In the New Living Translation, it puts it a bit more poetically, it states that Jesus healed the woman, then remarks, “How she praised God!” 

How she praised God! Wouldn’t you, too, like to be remembered for how you worship? For your heart and posture of praise? 

What she did after she gave praise isn’t written. She probably told her family, friends, and anyone who would listen. But first, she praised Jesus. How she praised Him!

Maybe you can put it on your goal list that once something is achieved, you should thank God. Maybe you say you have to pray and thank God before you get another treat. Maybe you do a celebratory dance to a gospel song. 

Whatever you do, just remember to thank God. It’s easy to remember to cry out to Him in those moments of pain and struggle; it’s not as easy to remember to yell out thanks and praise. But both are so important. 

Consider: How can you create a system so you will remember to praise and thank God the next time you achieve a goal? How can you start to build praise and thanks to God into everyday situations?