Psalm 136:1-3
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
What an awesome God we have. Here He has come down to the earth to pay for our sins, dying for us when we did not deserve it. He allows us to come before Him, to confess our sins and to ask for His forgiveness. He could turn aside in shame, angry that we disobey Him. Instead, His arms are open wide, ready for us when we realize we need to turn back to Him. What mercy and grace! How wonderful our God is to love us unconditionally, and what do we do? We tend to go on with our lives as we normally would. We forget to give thanks.
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him——and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17: 11-19)
Say for example you helped out a person every time they got in trouble. Wouldn't you wish to be thanked by that person? Wouldn't you be hurt if they didn't thank you? Jesus said in Luke 17:17 of the 10 lepers He healed, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" So let us never forget to thank Him who created us, who saved us in more ways than one.
There is a song titled "Give Thanks". It goes,
"Gives thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks unto the Holy One, give thanks, because He's given, Jesus Christ His Son. And now let the weak say "I am strong", Let the poor say "I am rich", Because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks, give thanks, give thanks."
So let us remember to give thanks to our God with a grateful heart!*
Thanking Him,
Whitney
