Thankful

On one occasion, Jesus was traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem, and on His way, He passed through Samaria  As He entered a village, Jesus was met by ten lepers. The law forbade them to come near, to prevent the spread of leprosy.  However, knowing that He had the power to to do something about their plight, the lepers cried out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus responded by instructing them to go show themselves to the priest. When they obeyed what He told them to do, as they were going, they were cleansed.

One of the lepers, a Samaritan, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back to Jesus.  With a loud voice, he praised God and fell at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him. Jesus replied by asking “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 7:17-18).

1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” Yes, in the good and in the bad, we must thank Him. In the time of storms and in times of peace, we must thank Him. In times of chaos, and in times of calm, we must thank Him. When we are sick, and when we are healthy, we must thank Him. You get the picture.

While we have many physical blessings for which we ought to be thankful, most of all, we need to be ever thankful for God’s mercy, for the living hope He gives us, and for the reservation He has made for us in heaven (1 Peter 1:3,4) ….if we remain faithful to Him.

What are you thankful for today?

Lyrics by Dennis Jernigan