Did You Stop to Say....THANKS?
In
just a few short weeks, we will be entering into the "holiday
season"...that special time each year when we pause to reflect, give
thanks and give praise for the greatest gift EVER...the baby Jesus, born to die
for the sins of the world. Unfortunately, many people around the globe do NOT
celebrate this season. In fact, out of 195 countries in the world, ONLY 9 set
aside a day of celebration of thanksgiving. Which leads me to believe that most
people are not really into saying...THANKS!
Case
in point is easily found in Scripture, in the book of Luke. In fact, the telling
of this story only occurs in the Gospel of Luke; but, I think it bears a closer
look as we head toward the last Thursday of this month, commonly known as THANKSGIVING
DAY!
Let
me set the stage. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, passing through the middle
of Samaria and Galilee. As He nears a certain village, standing on the
outskirts of this small town, He is greeted with shouts from a leper colony of
10 men, each one shouting for Jesus to have mercy on them. It is very likely
that the healing reputation of Jesus had reached them, even though, due to their
leprosy, they had NEVER seen such a miracle...but they would not be dissuaded!
Jesus, in an act of mercy and grace called back to them with one simple command...he
said,
"Go show
yourselves to the priest."
I'm
quite confident that they looked at each other in bewilderment; however, they
knew that if they were to be allowed back into Jewish society, they would need
a certificate of release from the
priest, declaring that they were free of the disease...so off they went!
And
that's when it happened; Luke 17:14b reads, "And
so it was that as they went, THEY WERE CLEANSED!" (my emphasis) Scripture
continues, "And one of them, when he
saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice, glorified God, and
fell down on his face at His feet, GIVING HIM THANKS! And he was a
Samaritan." Luke 17:15-16
So
what is the real lesson to be learned from this one-of-a-kind story and why was
it so important for Dr. Luke to share in his Gospel? Let's examine in the
following list:
1)
It took an action of obedience in this man of God to start the healing
process...had these men just stood around, they would have stayed lepers. It is
when we step out in faith that God can and does change us from what we are to
what He wants us to be.
2)
The power of God moves when we move and follow His instructions...nothing
changes without action and faith.
3)
It is not enough to follow God's instructions, wait for our miracle and then
just return to life as normal. Only ONE MAN returned to acknowledge what Christ
had done for Him when he sought to be obedient....and he was not even a Jew as
were the other nine.
4)
When we encounter the workings of a holy and righteous God, we should do
this....shout with a loud voice in praise and adoration ...giving glory to God;
then, fall on our face in worship as we GIVE
HIM THANKS!!!!
This
Samaritan man received more than his healing from leprosy when he encountered
Christ from afar...he received salvation. The last verse of this story says; "And he said to him, Get up and go your
own way. Your faith has saved you." (Luke 17:19 Christian Standard Bible)
So
where does that leave you and me as we approach this upcoming season of
Thanksgiving? Are we ready to acknowledge all that Christ has done for us? Have
we been obedient and stepped out in faith to accomplish the will of the Father
or are we still mulling around, waiting to be pushed into service? And if we
are doing for the Father, have we thanked Him, praised Him and giving Him the
glory and not lapped it up for ourselves?
Let's
make it a point to vow a simple promise for this coming Thanksgiving
Day....let's truly be thankful for our God of provision, promise and punctuality.
Yes, our God provides all we ever need to do His will and to walk in His way.
He ALWAYS keeps His promises for He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
And, He is always ON TIME...never late; seldom early; but always there when we
need Him most...and all it takes on our part is to follow the actions of this
thankful Samaritan brother (who I look forward to meeting someday in our
Heavenly home).
So
I promise to anyone who reads this story that God is just waiting for you to
show your thankfulness....and when you do, He's ready, willing and able to
bless you in ways you cannot begin to fathom....here's to a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Blessed
Beyond Measure...Thankful in Him,
WPQ
Poem for the day...
God wants you to
know how much He cares
For you to trust
in Him; for He's always there.
He's longing to
grant your heart's desires;
To fill your
heart and life with His Holy fire.
But there's
several things that He wants from you
If you want His
love to come shining through;
He wants your
love and your thankfulness
As you walk with
Him in true obedience.
So if you'll
commit that you will start each day
By reading His
word and taking time to pray;
Then get ready
to truly see life through His eyes
As you seek to
serve Him and stretch for the prize.
The prize that
is yours when your service is done;
For at last, now
at home with the Father and Son.
You'll bow at
His throne; to all you'll proclaim...
"How
precious is Jesus..and the power of His name!"
WPQ © November
2019
