Declare your Thankfulness

“He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!'" Luke 17:14,15 NLT

Like thousands of other runners around the United States today, I’ll get in a short run before the Thanksgiving festivities begin. Why? So I can burn off a few calories before sitting down for the feast of course. But the main reason I’ll wake up and get out before the turkey even goes into the oven is so I can spend some precious alone time with my Savior and thank Him for the countless ways He has blessed me. And you can be sure I’ll be thanking Him for ‘major’ things like family, food, a job, and a home. But I’ll also be thanking Him for the seemingly ‘minor’ things that I take for granted so often—things like the air in my lungs, the heartbeat in my chest, the countless friends I share life with, His Word that I get to read each and every day, a husband who loves me more than I deserve, and even for the trials of the past year; knowing that God worked each and every one of them for my good and for His glory. There’s just so much to be thankful for! 

Sadly though, the majority of people in our world will never thank God for anything, not the major things, not the minor things, and not even life-changing things. Consider the story of the ten lepers who "were cleansed of their leprosy." Keeping in mind that leprosy in the ancient world was extremely painful, hopelessly incurable, grotesquely disfiguring, and forced the one who had it to live outside the city (completely cut off from normal society and all physical touch), can you just imagine how badly a leper yearned to be healed? And yet when Jesus gave the ten lepers the greatest desire of their heart, only "one of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus." Only one shouted "Praise God!" Only one… 

And while I may not have been healed from something as bad as leprosy, I do have a million things to be grateful for today. And so do you my friend! So until the Lord calls us home, may we boldly declare our thankfulness by shouting, "Praise God!" each and every day. Even if we’re the only one…

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that there are so many things to be thankful for, especially for the salvation that was freely given to us when Jesus died on the cross. Lord, please forgive us for the many times we’ve failed to thank You for even the smallest of blessings. Help us to remember that we deserve no good thing but receive good things anyway because of Your great love for us. Today and every day Lord, may we boldly express thanksgiving to You with shouts of praise. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!