It is right to give Him thanks
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 17:17-19)
One day as Jesus made His way to Jerusalem He met ten lepers. Knowing who He was and what He was able to do, they called unto Him to have mercy on them and heal them. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest. Jesus said this because in those days, lepers lived in isolation, away from the rest of the society and only the priest could declare a leprous person clean after performing the necessary ceremonial rites (See Leviticus chapters 13 &14). It was only after a person had been declared clean that he or she was allowed back into the society.
The Bible says that as the lepers made their way to the priest they were cleansed. When one of them saw that he was healed, he turned around and made his way back to Jesus praising God in a loud voice. When he got to Jesus, he threw himself at his feet and thanked Him. This man had a grateful heart and he knew that it was only right that he should thank Jesus for what He had done for him. Throwing himself down, prostrating before the Lord was an act of worship. He acknowledged Jesus for who He was, the Son of the Living God.
Friend, most of us only call on God to ask, ask and ask again. Before going into our prayer closet, we already have a long list of petitions and we often leave the closet without thanking Him for what He has already done for us. We fail to realize that our ungrateful heart shuts up God’s storehouse. As much as He desires to bless us, when we see Him only as a Father Christmas and do not deem it right to thank Him, we are ungrateful and God will take notice. It is right to thank Him, we must thank Him because He has been good to us. As a matter of fact the Bible tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4)
Notice that the one leper who returned was made whole. In other words, Jesus not only healed him of the leprosy, He showered him with other blessings so that he lacked for nothing. He got an all round blessing. Hallelujah!!. Friend, let us develop a heart of gratitude. Let us remember to thank Him in big things and in small things. Our God takes notice.
Have you thanked Him today?
Prayer:
Lord, today, I just want to say thank you for all that you have done for me. You have done so much that I don’t even know where to start to thank you. The Psalmist David said, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would out number the grains of sand” (Psalm 139:17-18). I thank you today for your loving kindness, your tender mercies and your faithfulness towards me. Create in me a heart of gratitude that I may always remember to thank you. Amen.
