Thankful

All the ten men had a serious need, they had leprosy! 

What is leprosy?  Some suggest that it is a type of Sin, even more likely, it is a type of death.  We too, find ourselves in need of a healer and a Savior, for the Bible says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. (Rom 3:23)

So the Ten made their way to the Great Physician! They came to the right man, the man “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases”. (Ps 103:3)

The Ten begged for mercy because of their plight, the social stigma, the disgrace, the disease – and as always, Jesus works every time he is tried.  Scriptures say that as they were going, they were cleansed!  What a miracle! What a Healer!

But only one returned to express his gratitude, to show his thankfulness.  This event reminds us just how common unthankfulness is and how easy it is to take the blessings of God for granted.

Thankfulness is one of the missing ingredients in our culture. The Apostle Paul predicted, “that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Tim 3:1-2)

Robert Emmons, in the article What Gets in the Way of Gratitude, states “Contemporary research, paints a complicated picture of ingratitude. People who are ungrateful tend to be characterized by an excessive sense of self-importance, arrogance, vanity, and an unquenchable need for admiration and approval. Narcissists reject the ties that bind people into relationships of reciprocity. They expect special favors and feel no need to pay back or pay forward.”

As the Holiday of Thanksgiving approaches, stop and review all the blessing of God in our lives and be Thankful!

Pastor Bledsoe