THANKSGIVING BEGINS IN THE HEART

THANKSGIVING BEGINS IN THE HEART!

Ps 116:12-14

12 What shall I render unto the Lord  for all his benefits toward me?

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord .

14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord  now in the presence of all his people.

Luke 17:12-17

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

           The word “render” as it is used in Psalm chapter 116 and verse 12 is the Hebrew word shuwb and literally means “to turn back” with the idea of “returning to the starting point.” This is perfectly illustrated in Luke 17:15 where we find only one of ten lepers returning to give thanks for his healing. Ninety percent displayed no thanks.

           The plain fact is that no one can force you to be thankful! You either are thankful or you are not. Our parents taught us to say a simple table grace. This introduced to our young minds the concept of thanksgiving. If someone were nice to us or gave us candy, mother would always ask: “Now what do we say?” The answer, of course, was “Thank you.” But even mother could not make us truly thankful. She could only teach us the actions of thanksgiving.

           When we receive benefits for which we did not have to work it should make us grateful. However it is also possible to begin to think of these benefits as entitlements. We think someone else owes us all these things and we become like pouting spoiled children who throw their toys and pick at their food. Good things are greedily gobbled up without thanks.

           Thanksgiving always causes us to turn back and sometimes to return to the starting point. We begin to consider our true self-worth and how little we actually deserve. When we make lists they are not wish lists but lists of blessings already received. We look around and observe a bounty that is not only sufficient but enough to share. Thankful people are always giving people.

           I was born on Thanksgiving Day 1946. It’s true! I have been told that the timing of my arrival interrupted the doctor’s dinner but this did not make me a thankful person. No, I am thankful because of an event that happened many years before on a lonely hill in Jerusalem. On that hill the Son of God hung on a cross and paid my sin-debt. I didn’t deserve it, and certainly was not entitled to it, but God adopted me into His family because of the sacrifice of His Son. Since that day, because my Father is a great king, I have lived like a prince!

Dear Father, you have lavished upon me great gifts and privileges. Lord give me one more thing. Give me a thankful heart. AMEN