Only 10%? What About the Rest?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I really like that vintage thank you sign up above. Sometimes I think we need to have one of those signs in our view all the time! I know it can be difficult to understand why we say thank you to God when it feels like we were really handed a very bad blow! Yet, that is what our verse for today tells us, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances’. I am frequently reminded of my niece and nephew. A beautiful and joyful Christian couple finally were able to give birth to the child of their dreams on May 1st. Just one problem, after eight years of investing love and everything parents want to bestow to their children, he was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. Everyone began to pray, intercede, help any way we could, but in the end, nine months later, he was returned to the arms of Jesus. Are we expected to say thank you then? Yes, even then. How? Though it was so difficult right then, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins were broken-hearted, right to our core! But it eventually happened. At the memorial service, held in the school auditorium, people spoke about how this one little boy improved THEIR lives! They talked about how Dominic was cheerful, funny, grateful-even in pain. That’s when we could say, ‘Thank You’. You, Lord, gave us Dominic through miraculous circumstances (as in every birth). You, Lord, knew what family he could live with for his short eight years and be loved and nurtured. Thank You! You, Lord, put people in his path through his illness, that he would share his faith , in his innocent way. Because of Dominic, some of them did too.

When Jesus was here for that very brief time, he healed so many people. In one group alone He healed ten.

Luke 17:11-19 ¹¹Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance ¹³and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” ¹⁴When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him-and he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Ten percent! Seems rather small of a number when you consider the magnitude of what Jesus did for them. Thank you, a grateful heart, and appreciation for something we cannot do of our own will. We need God’s intervention.

I found another pithy statement that really hit me, no, it clobbered me!

“What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?”.

My niece and nephew Thanked God every step of their journey with Dominic, and every day they were able to spend with him. Our Lord just wants gratitude for what He gives us. Like a parent who gives so much, a simple ‘thanks Mom’ goes a long way!

Job 13:15 ¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

We are in a crazy time in our nation right now. How do we thank God for this? Well, we know God did not bring this on us. He only gives good gifts. Therefore, He is the one protecting, helping, providing, comforting, serving and giving us hope in Him!

‘Thank You Lord, and thank you again! Through this crazy time, you continue to be with us, provide and comfort us. You remind us of what you have done in our past, and we read of all the times you interviened in peoples lives in the Bible, in history, and in our own families. Thank You Lord, and please, do it again!

Question; Have YOU thanked God today? What can you expect tomorrow?