Thankfulness

“But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned, and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan.” Luke 17:15-16

“Thankfulness is a conscious response that comes from looking beyond our blessings to their source. As Christians, we have been forgiven, saved from death, and adopted as God’s children. There could be no better reason for a grateful heart.   

Lepers in Jesus’ day were social outcasts. Their contagious condition ostracized them from those they loved. When ten lepers encountered Jesus, they desperately implored Him to show them mercy. Jesus sent them to the priest. As they obeyed, they were healed! These ten men had been forbidden to enter their own villages, to live in their own homes, to work in their own jobs, or even to touch their own children. Imagine what unrestrained joy must have filled them as they ran home again!

One of the lepers, a Samaritan, stopped and ran back to thank Jesus. Samaritans were normally shunned by the Jews but Jesus had healed him. Jesus asked him, “Where are the others?” Ten lepers had been healed. Ten lepers were reveling in their newfound health, rushing to share the good news with those they loved. But only one considered the Source of that blessing and stopped to thank the One who had given him back his life.

We, too, have been healed and made whole by the Savior. We are free to enjoy the abundant life the Savior has graciously given us. Could we, like the nine lepers, rush off to glory in our blessings without stopping to thank our Redeemer? Our worship, prayers, service, and daily life ought to be saturated with thanksgiving to God (Phil 4:6).”

This is a devotional from Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby. What an amazing thing to think about as we are in our month of thankfulness! It can be quite easy to look at how much we have to be thankful for, but how often do we think of the One whom to be thankful for these blessings? As we are a week away from the day of Thanksgiving, challenge yourself until then, and beyond, to look to Jesus, thanking Him for being the source of all that you have been blessed with! Try to live a life where you believe that you could have been that one leper who returned to thank Jesus. Be so captivated by Jesus that He is the first thing you think of when you are giving thanks! Thank Him each day for life, for the people who surround you, for His sacrifice…don’t let life get in the way of giving the gratitude to Him who deserves it as we are more abundantly blessed than we deserve!