This Thanksgiving Day I am thankful for my faith

This week November 26 is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day. So, have you ever participated in sharing around the Thanksgiving table the reasons you have for thanks? What are you thankful for? When we observe that tradition in my house, most people say they are thankful for “Family.” Thankfulness is not necessarily easy. In Psalm 92 God calls us to thankful hearts, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;” But, in Psalm 103, while being called to thanks and praise, we are also warned against lack of thanks. We are warned against ungratefulness., “Bless the Lord, O my soul, all that is within me praise His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and FORGET NOT all His benefits.” Our Lord warns us not to forget the goodness He gives daily, and lavishly. Yet, how often do we forget?

In many Christian churches the assigned Gospel reading for Thanksgiving Day services is the account from Luke 17:11-19, the story of the 10 lepers. If you remember that story 10 men had contracted this horrible disease which causes people to lose limbs. Leprosy was painful and progressive. Leprosy inevitably led to death. And, unfortunately this disease was highly contagious. Maybe in our country today this story of contagious illness, which is highly contagious, which leads to quarantine and social distancing, would strike a note of interest.

You probably also know that in this account from Jesus’ life He cures 10 men with this horrible illness. One man was thankful to Jesus. But 9 did not give thanks. One man returned to our Lord with SHOUTS of praise, with actions of humility. So, if in the Luke account nine men forgot to give thanks, and only one man returned with thanks and praise on his lips, how can we be truly thankful in our hearts and lives? Two statements of Jesus in our lesson are very helpful in our pursuit of thankful hearts.