God & Thankfulness

Posted on November 27, 2014

Thankfulness is a common emotion that prompts us to express gratefulness.

There are two miracles in the bible where lives were completely changed and their response to the miracle that brings application to our lives today.

Naaman, the commander of the army of the King of Syria was described as “a great man with his master and in high favor…a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.” (2 Kings 5:1) He learned through an Israelite servant girl that there was a prophet in Israel that could heal him of leprosy. He went to the Prophet Elisha, a man of God and received his miracle of healing in an act of obedience by following the specific instructions of the prophet.

Afterwards, Naaman the Commander displayed his gratefulness by returning to Elisha with a gift (of which Elisha did not accept) and proclamation:

“Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel, so accept now a present from your servant.” (2 Kings 5:15)

The second miracle occurs in the New Testament when 10 lepers encountered Jesus passing along between the cities of Samaria and Galilee. They began crying out to the Lord to have mercy on them and when He saw them He gave them specific instructions to go show themselves to the priests. In an act of obedience as they “went they were cleansed.” (Luke 17:14)

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving thanks to Him. Now he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:15,16)

Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17)

God and thankfulness work together. A grateful heart attitude is cultivated by remembering to ‘return’ to the Lord and thank Him for the daily miracles in our lives. This is the blessed life!

And He said to him, “Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:19)