Have You Made A List Of Things For Which You Are Thankful?

Have You Made A List Of Things For Which You Are Thankful?

Good Morning Friends,

After praying this morning and reading a psalm about being thankful and one about how God upholds both the cosmic and moral order bringing victory, and scripture about the grateful Samaritan, I took some time to write down some of the things that God has done for me. And it made me feel good to celebrate the blessings I have received. I encourage you to try it.  Have You Made A List Of Things For Which You Are Thankful?

Scripture: To the leader: Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your wondrous deeds. 

Psalm 75:1 (NRSV)

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

Luke 17:11-19 (NRSV)

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord”

Psalm 92:1 (KJV)

Message: Like the lepers in today’s story we all are blessed. Notice the condition, the cry and the celebration of the characters in the story.  Note that all are healed but only when gratitude is present is one made whole. The same is true for us. Lest we forget just how amazing God is, lest we forget that He has already blessed us, we might want to get in the habit of documenting what we have asked God for in prayer and how God has responded and how our pride may have diminished the power of how we perceive the answer. When our prayers are answered let us be mindful of how we respond. For human nature lets the father of lies deceives us of the truth. Too often we are like the nine who failed at being thankful. I believe it is a good thing to get in the habit of remembering how our prayers are answered. It disciplines our prayers. Certainly God wants us to bring our concerns to Him, but first, I think, He wants us to prepare for just how wonderful and mighty a response He can breathe into our lives. He wants us to be humble and expectant when we cry out for His mercy… mercy that we might not get what we deserve. It is here that we pray and lay claim to Jesus’ victory over sin…our sin.  Indeed on the cross Christ wins the battle for us. Here He granted us forgiveness, and He births in us the Holy Spirit to restraint us and comforts us in the reality that we are already blessed.  Only when we realize humbly just how good we have it does the attitude of gratitude extend our faith into a following of the way. Just look at all the Lord has given us. Every good and perfect gift is really from above. Here we discover that giving thanks is not just a duty but a delight. Everything we enjoy we enjoy because of God and expressing that joy multiplies the gifts. Here we learn to be thankful for grace and the free and boundless mercy of God. Here we learn to be thankful for the life we have been given. Here we learn that the Christian life is really living one big “Thank You.” So today we express our thanks for the blessings received, blessings celebrated and also for the blessings we share.

Pray we have the attitude of gratitude. Pray we are part of a perpetual prayer of thanksgiving. Pray we receive the continuing comfort of our relationship with Christ. Pray we are healed by his victory and virtue in us. Pray that we never forget how kind God has been to us. Pray that we praise the LORD for His wonderful love. Pray that we uphold Christ as the giver of the abundant life. Pray that nothing divert our attention from God. Pray that we have enough faith to take the first step toward healing….the first step to thanking Jesus for what He has done and will do. Pray that He gives us His grace and strength to take time to be thankful. Pray we are thankful in all things. Pray that our hearts well up with thankful joy that shows on the outside. Pray we realize it is a good thing to give thanks.

Blessings,

John Lawson