It is a thankful heart expressed through worship to God that brings wholeness. It is God’s desire for us to be clean and whole. Giving thanks to God will make you whole no matter how badly...
1. Giving thanks makes you whole:
“So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well’” Luke 17:17-19.
Ten leopards found themselves cleansed as they left Jesus’ presence with a word from Him to show themselves to the priest. Their faith and obedience to Jesus’ instructions brought all of them their cleansing of the leprosy. Only one of the ten returned to thank Jesus after noticing his miracle. Because of his thankful heart, not only was he cleansed from leprosy, but he was made well or whole. Many people, because of their faith in Jesus, have been made clean from their sins. You can be clean yet still broken. It is a thankful heart expressed through worship to God that brings wholeness. It is God’s desire for us to be clean and whole. Giving thanks to God will make you whole no matter how badly broken you may be.
2. Giving thanks places life in the right perspective:
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
t is God’s will for all of us to give thanks in all things. In the good times and in the not so good times. A thankful heart puts everything and everyone in the right perspective. That is, you and Jesus on top and everything else under your feet (Ephesians 2:4-7). When you see your life through a heavenly perspective your largest challenges become very small and God becomes very large. When we see God larger than our challenges fear is broken and joy is produced. A joyful person cannot be defeated. When a person can maintain joy in the midst of chaos they will always come out on top. It is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength (Nehemiah 8:10). My pastor told me something one time that helped me tremendously. He said, “If the devil gets your joy, he’s got your goods.” I have to remind myself of this quite often in situations where I find my joy slipping away from me. Don’t let the devil get your joy, remain thankful!
3. Giving thanks positions you for a miracle:
Giving thanks is an expression of our faith in God’s ability and willingness to answer our prayers. In the Bible we see Jesus on three occasions giving thanks to God before receiving the miracle He was believing for. He gave thanks, as an example for us to follow. In 1 Corinthians 11:24, at what most call “The last supper,” He held up the bread, broke it, and distributed it to His disciples representing His body being broken on the cross. Jesus thanked God for the salvation to come for all of humanity.
In John 6:11, we see Jesus holding up a little boy’s sack lunch and giving thanks to God before handing it over to His disciples to give out to over ten thousand people. After thanks was given thousands of people were fed and left overs were taken up from what started as only one sack lunch. Little can become much when placed in thankful hands. Jesus not only thanked God for what He had but for what He desired to have and a miracle happened. In John 11:41, we see Jesus giving thanks to His father for hearing His prayer as He stared at the cave which held Lazarus’ lifeless body. He then commanded Lazarus to come forth and miraculously he did. Jesus exercised His faith in Father God’s ability to answer His prayer as He gave thanks and His friend was raised from the dead. Your thanksgiving to God will stir up your faith and produce for you the desires of your heart.
So, never allow yourself to cease from giving God thanks. We have so much to be thankful for. God has been good to all of us. He has blessed us with great jobs, families, friends, health, minds, and the lists goes on and on. The greatest gift we have been given is Jesus. We all have Jesus to be thankful for. Because of Jesus we can enjoy an abundant life and an eternal life to come. This thanksgiving season pull your family in close and praise God for His goodness together. Enjoy each other in the presence of God being thankful for who you are, what you have been given and for the things you desire! It’s Thanksgiving!