One day Jesus was walking to Jerusalem when 10 lepers called out to Him, asking for mercy. Jesus being a compassionate and merciful God agreed to heal them and sent them to the priests to be inspected. The Bible says that as they were walking they received their healing. One of them came back when he saw he was healed and was praising God loudly before he threw himself at the feet of Jesus in thanksgiving, and he was a Samaritan! Here was Jesus response:

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." - Luke 17: 17-19 (NIT)

There are certain Bible verses that just make me sad and one of them is - has no one returned to give praise to God? This Thanksgiving Day will come and go. We will eat and spend time with those we love. We will thank God for the provision we see before us today. Then tomorrow will come and we will all go back to the day to day grind of our lives and the same challenge will still be there from Jesus.

Has no one returned to give praise to God?

Let's move the spirit of giving thanks beyond the fourth Thursday in November. Like the Samaritan who understood all that God had done for him - let us return daily to give thanks to God Almighty.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Rev. Anthony