Entering into Thanksgiving

Though I didn't intend to write a thanksgiving-themed blog, it just kind of happened. One of those late night talks with God. I was reflecting on how blessed I had been recently by an act of unexpected generosity, and how I wanted to remember to again extend my gratitude. I realized how easy it is to receive the blessings in life, but then forget to appreciate and be thankful for them. It was then I felt God bring to mind the story of the ten lepers, and how only one turned back to give thanks to the Lord.

“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?’” Lk. 17:11-18

At first reading, it seems quite unimaginable that nine of the lepers, the Jews who supposedly should have exemplified the strongest faith(as would have been expected by the reader), neglected entirely to return and give thanks for their miraculous healing. What kind of person could forget to show gratitude after something as monumental as restoration from leprosy? They had likely spent many years of their lives in suffering and isolation, and suddenly they were freed from their illness and welcomed back into society. The Samaritan, the one whose faith was considered to be illegitimate, was the only one who showed gratitude to the Giver of this joyous gift of healing.

I remember even as a child comparing myself to these lepers, and feeling somewhat justified that I would never have done anything like that. I suppose that self-righteous attitude alone should have tipped me off that I was clearly missing the point. That story was not included in the Bible to give me a sense of justification before God, but to challenge me to examine my own life. Sure, I may not have experienced the exact same sort of healing that these men have, but I certainly have received many blessings and answered prayers throughout my life, from the small day-to day things, to even more wonderful demonstrations of the faithfulness and goodness of God. Though I have tried to be thankful for the blessings I have experienced, how many times am I more caught up in enjoying the blessing than I am in rejoicing in thanksgiving with the One who gave it?

The nine lepers were most likely not deliberately being ungrateful, but were probably just so thrilled about their chance at a new beginning, excited to tell everyone that they were no longer afflicted and reunite with family and friends. It was not wrong to be happy about that, but what their healing sadly did not result in was a deeper love and thankfulness towards the Lord.

Whether we feel we have a lot to be thankful for, or we are struggling with difficult situations and waiting for answers, the Bible makes it clear how we can experience the Presence of the Lord in any circumstance.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures for ever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5

There are always things we can be thankful for, because “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father .. Who does not change”(James 1:17). The beauty of creation, the changing of seasons, His love in which He created each one of us, are all gifts from Him. The other thing we can always rejoice in is that our God does not change. He is always good, and always faithful. Whether or not He answers our prayers in the way or timing we expect, we can have joy and assurance that His steadfast love and faithfulness remain the same. Our circumstances may change—there are days we may walk through valleys and days we dance on mountain tops—but He will never, ever change.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

(Found in 1 Chron. 16:34; 2 Chron. 5:13; Ps. 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29; 36:1 and Jer. 33:11)

Our salvation is through the blood of Christ, which is called the “cup of thanksgiving”(1 Cor. 10:16). We are encouraged to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you”(1 Thess. 5:18). Thanksgiving is our way to connect with Him, as He delights in pouring His love out on us. It is the way we can experience His peace:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

“For everything God created is good” and it was “created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:4,3

We were created to experience joy in the blessings of God through thanksgiving, and we will miss out on so much if we focus only on ourselves, and not on Him. Praising Him, and delighting in who He is and what He has done, is a powerful and effective weapon against lies, discouragement and temptation. There is a way we can discover the joy of His presence each and every day, and it is so incredibly simple.

I don't want to be like the nine lepers, living my life without looking to the One from whom my help comes from. I don't want to enjoy life's gifts without gratitude, but to each day make a decision to draw near to Him and thank Him for all He has done. As the well-sung lyric declares:

“Every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise.”

This thanksgiving, spend it with the One who truly loves you and desires your heart.

#bible #depression #faith #hope #joy #thanksgiving #gratitude #lepers