Good Morning Friends,
We need a witness of God in the experience of our life so that in the middle of our challenges we can worship rather than worry. We need to experience not control but surrender to the possibility of God providing for our needs and others witnessing that reality. So even, no matter what our challenge we are to say “thank you” for God providing more than enough, “thank you” for the simple things we take for granted, “thank you” for letting us share, “thank you” for opening our eyes to God’s goodness and for God being in every good choice we make, and every ability God has given us. Today we look at a verse in a Psalm and a Gospel story about a Samaritan thanking Jesus and a letter of thanks from Paul to the church of Philippi. They combine to guide us in understanding that there is a joy in giving thanks. Did We Remember To Say Thank You?
Scripture: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord”
Psalm 92:1 (KJV)
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)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)
Message: In our Gospel passage, ten men are outside the village. They can’t get close to Jesus because of their disease, so they have to stand at a distance and yell to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Jesus gives them a command, which they follow, and as they are walking, miraculously, all are healed of their disease. Now here comes the interesting part. For we have been loved by God and blessed and healed. But how do we then respond? In today’s Gospel story they all must have been overjoyed! Perhaps some of them ran home to see their parents, their brothers, and sisters, to embrace wives and children whom they hadn’t been able to visit or touch in years. But only one had the presence of mind to return. Only one saw beyond the gift to the giver, only one came back and gave thanks. One out of ten. What was the difference? Perhaps the nine only cared about the healing. They didn’t care about the healer. Once their illness was cured, they had what they wanted. There was happiness and relief, I’m sure, at finally being free of their affliction. But there was no gratitude, no thankfulness, no appreciation. They just took the blessing and ran. Only one gave thanks; only one had faith enough to give thanks. There are several conclusions one can draw from this story. One of course is the importance of giving thanks to God. Another is to see that that the foundation of this thanksgiving is faith and obedience. We are to have faith that Jesus is able to do something for us beyond just meeting our apparent need. We are to learn that gratitude and thankfulness are essential because they cause us to return to Christ as the source of our blessings, rather than just seeking the blessing itself.
And So, today we are to embrace Paul’s thank you letter to his friends in Philippi. For it is excellent counsel on how to develop a winning attitude for life…how to embrace the Golden Rule when we are blessed with gold and even when we are not. It speaks out to a world filled with the walking wounded… It is an antidote for the worries of the world. It is evidence that Paul did not succumb to the joy stealers. Indeed, he kept a proper perspective; doing unto others as he would have them do unto him…extending that good will to even his enemies. He saw as we should, problems as possibilities, he saw people in relationship to their potential…. he saw the present in light of God’s promise. Paul calls us to practice patience, trust, joy, and prayer daily, meditating on the good things, the power of the Holy Spirit fixed in our minds so that we might apply ourselves to action…doing His will. The message is this: God is good. 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 on this day please express thanks for the blessings you have received but also the blessings you will share. This day give thanks.
Pray we are thankful in all things. Pray that our hearts well up with thankful joy that shows on the outside. Pray we thank God for the food we share. Pray we thank God for the healing Jesus provides. Pray we never let our love grow cold. Pray we experience joy. Pray we realize it is a good thing to give thanks.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 