There is a story in the Bible about ten lepers who came to Jesus asking to be healed ( Luke 17:11-19). The story says that Jesus responded to them by telling them to go to the priests and show them that they were healed. But they weren’t healed yet. The healing happened as they were on the way to see the priest. It required faith to believe they were healed.
The story continues with one of the ten returning to Jesus overjoyed with his healing, falling at Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving. Jesus told the man that his faith has made him well. Only one man recognized that it was because of Jesus that he was made well and only one man returned to give thanks. What of the others?
I think the others were glad to be healed, but perhaps they were so distracted by the new possibilities for their lives that they simply forgot to say thank you.
Have you ever been praying for something , received what you asked for and become so excited about the new things ahead that you simply forgot to go back and give thanks? It probably happens more often than we would like to admit.
We have much to be thankful for every day. The answer to the question, “When should we say thank you?” is – always. In every circumstance. Even for those things that don’t necessarily look like they are good things. Those ten lepers had to step out in faith and go to the priest before they had even begun to see the healing of their bodies. They continued on because they believed that the future could be better than their past. And that was a good thing, but they forgot something very important. They forgot to say thank you.
C. S. Lewis put it well when he said, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” The scriptures confirm this over and over. Our job is to believe it and then fall at the feet of Jesus and thank him for this promise.
Job 8:7 And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. (ESV)
1Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.(ESV)
What can you thank Him for today?