The Miracle Of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving - Greek εὐχαριστία - Eucharistia - The act of expressing gratitude or showing appreciation

Philippians 4:6–7 “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

with - It is an addition to prayer and supplication for a peaceful life

our requests should be made known to God with thanksgiving. Someone has summarized the verse as saying that we should be “anxious in nothing, prayerful in everything, thankful for anything.”

Note: Prayers are requests (demands) we make to God : Supplications are earnest or urgent requests

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

In every things sounds like a lifestyle so it should be an everyday part of our lives

Luke 17:11–19 “11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, 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 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.””

On His way to Jerusalem through Samaria and Galilee Jesus encounter 10 lepers

Because of their leprosy they were outcasts - left at the city gates usually - not to mingle with -or among the people.

That shows they were not on close proximity

So they had to shout out to Jesus for His attention.

When He responded, they ask for mercy - for healing.

Jesus instructs them to go show themselves to the priests.

Now this was legal requirement by the Mosaic Law that only the priest can confirm one is clean or healed of diseases such as leprosy to be restored back to society and be amongst the people.

As they went, they were healed.

Catch this - For them to go see the Priest they have to go amongst the people.

To be amongst the people is to be sure you are healed or cleansed as confirmed by a priest.

The reverse is the order - that the Priest says you are clean then you can now be amongst the people - or be restored back into society.

But with Jesus the order is reversed.

The fact that they went through or amongst the people meant - they were made clean when they obeyed.

They were cleansed so they could go amongst the people.

The Priest was just to confirm that healing had taken place - as witness to them that there’s one greater in the area.

The Whys?

Because Jesus is the High Priest - Faith and obedience in Him reverses the order of men, even the law.

Hebrews 4:4–6 “4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,”

Perhaps there is reason (a why) the nine ungrateful failed to return to give thanks-

Because they were healed and didn’t need the priest’s confirmation.

But they missed their miracle of wholeness when they failed to return to the great High Priest with Thanksgiving.

There are countless breakthroughs in obedience - It set things in right and in order for our lives

Ephesians 6:1 “1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

Obedience according to the word of God

Especially Obedience to the Lord Jesus

As in the case of the Apostle Peter

When he had toiled all night for fish but caught nothing.

Then Jesus shows up and says launch into the deep and cast thy net.

Hear his response to Jesus:

Luke 5:4–7 “4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”

Your first sign of breakthrough is in your obedience to every word of God

For God’s word does not return to Him void it shall accomplish the purpose for which it was sent.

What word of God do you have to obey in this season?

Is it to accommodate or invite someone to share the meals of your Thanksgiving dinner?

Is it obedience to not forsake the assembling of the brethren?

Is it obedience to bring in all the tithe ?

Is it obedience to declare the word of God in the face of that situation in faith?

Is it obedience to respond to the voice of God asking you to serve in His house?

Obedience to the instruction ‘ Go show yourselves’ began the cleansing process.

As they went , they were cleansed

Christ knew 10 were cleansed - He operates in the omni - dimension - omniscient-

Remember the woman with the issue of blood? He knew virtue - some power had been released

So he knew all 10 lepers were healed

But only one returned to praise and give thanks

And he was a samaritan - Because Samaria was close by,

Three Faith levels can be identified here:

The 10 had faith in Jesus to call for mercy-healing

They expressed faith when they obeyed Christ to go and show themselves to the Priest and that brought their cleansing

But a higher level of level of faith is evident when the one Samaritan returned to give thanks to Jesus and that resulted in him being made whole.

The ultimate miracle in this case occurred when the samaritan returned to give Thanks

Because He returned to give thanks he was pronounced well!

The others were cleansed but were not made well

They needed to have returned to Jesus the High Priest to be pronounced well.

There is a miracle after obedience

And it as activated by giving thanks for all and everything we’ve been through and God has done, and it shall be well with us.

What do you have to be grateful for?