Give Thanks To God
Give Thanks To God
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
Thanksgiving will be here soon. It is a day that is set apart as a national holiday to give thanks to God. Most people will gather with their family and friends.
As children, we are taught to say “please” and “thank you”. However, we usually don’t say “please” in our prayers (I wonder why?) but we should certainly say “thank you”!
There are many ways we can say “thank you” to God. Here are some of them:
-Just say “thank you”. Praise Him. Worship Him. Sing to Him. Pray to Him.
-Give God something back. At my church we are currently in the middle of our annual stewardship campaign. We are taught that we should give God our talent, time, and treasure as a response to His love and His gifts to us.
-Be a blessing to others. We are all “blessed to be a blessing.” Thank God for what you have and share it with others. Share with those who need your help and even with those who don’t. God will bless them with your gift and will bless you for giving it to them.
Can you think of some other ways?
We take so much for granted. I encourage you to count your blessings everyday. Don’t just thank God for your blessings, be specific! I have heard that you should thank God for at least ten blessings each day. The more you look for God’s blessings and thank God, the more you will see and recognize His blessings. Even when you are having a difficult day, you can always thank God for your life! At least you are living and breathing! And there is always someone worst off than you!
I’m sure God appreciates our gratitude and our sharing. After all, aren’t we pleased when we give someone a gift and they appreciate it and say “thank you”?
I have a plaque that hangs on my wall that reads, “God blesses us every day…it’s up to us to notice. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. Psalm 136:1”
So remember to give thanks to God everyday…and don’t forget to thank Him on Thanksgiving!
You have given me so much!!! Help me to recognize Your blessings and always remember to say thank You!!! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
