Express Gratitude to God
Have you told God how thankful you are for everything He has done in your life?
Last week, over the American Thanksgiving holiday, we’ve hosted about two dozen people in our home. It’s been a blast!
But life was very different in our young marriage.
I’ll never forget Thanksgiving of 1993. It was the year I surrendered to the Lord’s leading to go into ministry. As we prayed, planned, and thought through what the change would mean, we acknowledged that we might never own a house on a pastor’s salary.
Fast-forward to early 2021, when we visited Knoxville to search for a home so we could live close to the Freedom in Christ US office. The housing market was crazy, and though we bid on a few houses, we didn’t even have a shot because people were bidding so high.
I remember a question our sons asked after we lost another bid. They said, “Dad, how are we going to get a house? We don’t have that kind of money.” I wasn’t sure how to answer except that I said, “Guys, we know Someone better than money.” It was about 24 hours later that we got connected with a guy who was thinking about selling his house but hadn’t put it on the market. After he walked me around his house for an hour, I asked, “Can we buy your house?” He simply replied, “Sure.” And here we live.
As an added bonus, the house is only a couple of miles away from the Christian School where Jen works and the church community that we’re apart of!
Wow. God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. The question is, how often do we express our gratitude to God?
In Luke 17, we learn about ten lepers “who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
Without even saying a word, they were cleansed. Jesus didn’t mix mud and put it on them like he did with a blind man. Jesus didn’t go over to them and touch them, even though he did that with other people society considered ‘unclean.’ He simply said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”
Scripture tells us, “As they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14b).
I wonder what they thought. When did they recognize the healing? How long did it take for them to recognize they were healed and cleansed? The Torah gave specific laws regarding lepers (see Leviticus 13 &14). The important point is that they obeyed Jesus’ command even though it may have seemed strange, or at least out of order, to them.
A question for us to consider is this: Have we obeyed even though we don’t know the outcome? They were cleansed on the way. Do we sometimes think we need the answers and plan before we obey and go?
“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 him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:15-19, ESV).
I can think back to quite a few times in life when I had to make a decision to follow God’s direction, even when I didn’t know the outcome. It wasn’t until much later that I could see how He wanted to work in and through me.
We have to be willing to exercise faith. That means we obey and go even when we don’t know the outcome or even when it may mean sacrificing something we want.
In the opening story, notice that I purposefully used the words house and home. On one hand, our house (as much of a blessing as it is) is simply a material possession. We’re grateful to have a roof over our heads, and a place for people to visit. But the real blessings are intangible. God has transformed my heart and mind so I can be a loving husband and dad. We have four kids, two sons-in-law, and one grandson who all love to spend time together under our roof. The love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control we experience together is a gift from God. Not only has God given us a house, but He has helped us make it a home. Thank you, Lord!
Dear Saints, I also fully recognize that this is not everyone’s experience. There is so much brokenness and heartache in families across our world today. But God is not finished yet! Don’t be afraid to cry out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Then, trust that He is at work, ready and willing to heal you. And though you may not know the implications of surrendering to Him, take the time to express your gratitude today. I encourage you even to consider ‘falling on your face’ as a physical expression of your gratitude and submission to Jesus Christ as Lord.