An Outreach Resource Ministry
A Ministry for the Millennium
"In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(1 Thessalonians 5:18)
One of the most difficult expressions for a person to say in life is "thank you" a word that expresses gratitude and pleasure for something given or done for someone. It also communicates feelings of kindness received. But yet, many of God's people have a hard time saying these two words.
The Word of God tells us, "In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It is so easy for many of us to complain about the basic things in life and to take them for granted. If we take the basic things in life for granted such as the rain drops that fall from the sky, the sun that warms the earth, the moon that shimmers upon the water and the beauty of the pure snow flakes that cover the earth, how much more do we take for granted the wonderful blessings God gives us each and every day? How much more do we take for granted sin in our lives and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for a sinful humanity?
The story of the "Ten Lepers" in Luke 17:11-19 gives us an example of being thankful. The narrative tells us that when Jesus traveled along the borders between Samaria and Galilee heading for Jerusalem, he met ten men who had leprosy. As they stood at a distance and cried out to Jesus with a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us," the Bible says, "And when he (Jesus) saw them, he said, Go, show yourselves to the priest; and as they went, they were cleaned." When the ten men left at the command of Jesus to go show themselves to the priest, one of the men recognized that Jesus had healed him. He ran back to Jesus, praising Him and thanking Him for healing him of his disease. Jesus said, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?"
This story depicts the "lack of gratitude," that is one of the major tragic characteristics of the human race. Yet on the other hand, the story portrays an "attitude of gratitude" by one of the lepers who was healed by the Great Physician. Ten were healed but only one, a Samaritan, came back to Jesus "praising Him and thanking Him" for His healing powers. In this story, leprosy represents sin in our lives. Jesus Christ healed the man in this narrative physically and spiritually. The "Samaritan" was grateful and manifested an "attitude of gratitude." But the question still remains to this day - What happened to the other nine who were healed by the Master?
As Christians who have "obtain eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11) through the blood of Jesus Christ, let us manifest an "attitude of gratitude." Let every day be a day of thanksgiving. Let us be ever mindful of the Word of God, "In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Be Blessed!
Pastor Thelma Gilbert
Pastor Thelma Gilbert
For more information write or call us at:
Pastoral Resource Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 7232
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Phne (860) 243-2168 - Fax: (860) 242-1838
email: prministrie@snet.net