Good morning to you today. I hope you have had a very Happy Thanksgiving week. We are so very thankful today to have the privilege of meeting together in person and online to worship God in spirit and in truth. Let us show and share our gratitude today as we sing, pray, give, share in the Lord’s Supper, and listen to God’s word proclaimed.
In Luke 17:11-19 we find that Jesus met 10 men who were lepers. These men didn’t come close to Jesus but stood “afar off” and asked for Jesus to “have mercy on them.” Jesus simply said to them “Go, show yourselves to the priests” and as they went, they were cleansed. This is a wonderful story from the Bible that shows Jesus’ love, compassion, and power. This is also a very sad story because when we continue reading, we find that only one of these ten men who were healed from this horrible disease returned to say, “Thank you.” Even Jesus was so surprised that He remarked “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Where there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Now before we shake our heads and look down on the nine who would not show their gratitude, we need to think seriously about ourselves. ARE WE THANKFUL – TODAY AND EVERYDAY?
When I think about THE PAST…Boy, am I thankful. God made us and sustains us. We need to recognize and remember Him. When we do, we are thankful.
Proverbs 3:9-10 says “Honor the Lord with all your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats overflow with new wine.”
When I think about THE PRESENT, TODAY…I AM SO THANKFUL. I can find a way to be thankful IN every circumstance.
Philippians 4:10-13 – Here we find that Paul learned to in whatever state he was in, to be content. Are you low? Learn to be grateful. Are you happy? Be thankful. Are you full? Thank God. Are you hungry? Learn to appreciate your blessings.
When I think about THE FUTURE, I AM THANKFUL. No. I do not know the future. Only God knows what tomorrow holds and so we can trust in Him to provide us with whatever we need to make it through.
Philippians 4:4-7 says “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS. Again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
ARE WE THANKFUL? Am I like the 1 or am I like the 9? God’s hands are so much bigger than mine. We cannot always choose the changes and chances that come our way. We are always able to choose the attitude we have toward those changes and chances. I choose to be like the 1 and always return to God to let Him know in word and deed that I am thankful for His rich blessings in my life. Will you? I hope so.
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