The Power of Thanksgiving

Most of of think of thanksgiving as a courteous, nice thing to do. Good public relations, rather than an absolute requirement, dictate the act. We classify it as proper protocol. When people don’t express gratitude, we think they are only being uncouth. When people forget to say thanks, we accuse them only of thoughtlessness. When we study the scripture, however, a far different profile emerges. Thanksgiving actually turns out to be a fundamental spiritual principle. True thanksgiving opens the door to deep spiritual healing and experience.

A powerful fact is attached to the incident of the lepers whom Jesus healed in Luke 17:12-19. Only one man out of the ten returned to Jesus to thank him. When this man fell down on his face to give thanks, Jesus asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” They were not to be found. Only this stranger (he was a Samaritan) came back to give God glory. Then, Jesus said, “Arise, go thy way: they faith hath made thee whole.”

There are three words that describe what happened to the leper. He was cleansed (purified), healed (cured) and made whole (saved, preserved). While all ten were cleansed and healed, only the one who gave thanks was made whole.

A number of people in the Bible were blessed, healed and touched, but not made whole. Luke 6:35 says, “Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

What are the steps to wholeness?

Luke 17:12-19

Prayer of desperation

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

Those who do not pray should not expect answers to prayer.  Prayers that move God are effectual and fervent.

Obedience

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests.

Jesus could have declared them clean because he was a high priest after the Order of Melchezidek. Instead, he sent them to the high priest for evidence of their healing. Why? First of all, it would legitimize their healing to all the people who did not yet recognize Jesus. Second, and more important, if the High Priest declared them clean, it meant that the High Priest would have been forced to recognize the power of Jesus to heal leprosy.

And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Realization

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

Worship

16 And fell down on his face at his feet,

Worship=shawchaw (prostrate oneself, bow down)

Gen 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

Gen 42:6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

1 Sam 25:41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

Thanksgiving

giving him thanks: and

Forgiveness

he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

What did the leper who came back communicate with Jesus?

You have changed my life for the better.
I could not have had this healing without you.
I am forever indebted to you.
You did not just restore my health for my purposes; you did it for your own purposes.

What is it that the simple act of sincere thanksgiving does to God?

The nine who did not return to give thanks grabbed whatever blessings and advantages they could get from Jesus and ran. They wanted to be healed to get on with their lives, to pursue their own interests. They either had no concept of God’s purpose or they were totally self-indulgent. Whatever they received, they felt like it was a deserved benefit.

It is possible to have enough faith in God to receive miracles and blessings from him. This does not necessarily lead on to true discipleship.

Wholeness requires an attitude of thanksgiving towards God.

Wholeness is a release of pain.
Wholeness neutralizes long-standing dysfunctional effects.
Wholeness makes one comfortable with who they are and what they have.
The most important truth to embrace is your relationship with God supercedes your relationship with yourself, your family, your friends, your acquaintences, your past, or any other person or thing that can be named.

2 Cor 12:7-10  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.