Jan 5 Please and Thank You

January 5

       Please and Thank You

Lu 17:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us…. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, …, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,… giving him thanks.  (Luke 17:13-16)

 In a few more seconds he would probably be dead. It was doubtful he would survive a three story fall from the steep roof he was slowly sliding down. In desperation he cried out “Oh God, don’t let me fall off this roof!” Just then his coveralls caught on a nail, and his sliding stopped. His immediate response was “Oh, never mind God, I have it under control now”

At this time of year it is common for the media to review last year. Who died, what tragic events took place, the winners and the losers, etc. For our devotional today let us look back at the blessings we have received and be thankful.

The title of our devotional “Please and Thank You” is a good reminder that we should not be like the roofer who asked for help, did not recognize the answer to his prayer, and never said thank you.

In Luke chapter 17 we have an example of lepers who said “Please” but not “Thank You”. Christ was passing through a village in Samaria when ten lepers called out to him from afar off.  “Master, have mercy on us.”  Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest. That was in accord with Leviticus chapters 13 and 14 that required anyone who was cured of leprosy to present themselves to the priest and be declared “clean”. The only problem was they still had the disease. It required faith on their part to follow Christ’s instructions, even though it seemed like a fool’s errand. So the ten men, who still had leprosy headed off to see the priest, and as they went they were cured. They must have been overjoyed and anxious for the priest to declare they were clean and go back to normal living.

But one of the ten men, when he saw he was healed turned back toward Christ and loudly Glorified God. He understood the connection between his healing and God’s answer to their prayer. Then he returned to Christ and demonstrated by his actions and words that he was thankful.

Lu 17:16 And fell down on his face at his feet,

giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus responded by asking where the other nine were. He had healed ten men but only one had returned to say “Thank you”, even though all ten had said “Please!”

Christ was speaking to the Pharisees when he recalled this event. His message to them was clear. They were not thankful for the blessings God had sent them. While this passage was directed at the Pharisees it is easy for us to see an application to our own lives.

We frequently ask God for things. “Dear Lord, please….” but may not remember to say thanks. It isn’t that we aren’t thankful. Sometimes we do not recognize God has answered our prayers. The old saying is “Do not pray for patience or God might send you children” or more in keeping with our hurry scurry lives “Please give me patience and give it to me right now.”

Sometimes our busy life squeezes out time for appreciation. Other times we fail to see the blessings in what others see as adversity.

My wife recently had a stroke. When someone was expressing how awful that was and feeling so sorry for us, I responded that we felt blessed. Their said it was good to keep a positive attitude. But we don’t have a positive attitude about it, we have a thankful spirit. God has blessed us in so many ways. That is the reason for today’s devotional thought. When I started reviewing and making a mental list of all the ways God has blessed us I felt a little guilty that I had been enjoying so many blessing and had not said thanks often enough.

That is the essence of our devotional thought for today. Spend a few minutes thinking about how God has blessed you. Now think harder. Look for the blessings in what others might see as adversity. Consider the things you take for granted; job, home, family, health, faith.  Are you starting to feel overwhelmed with blessings. Have you said “thank you” often enough?

It is a little ironic that when we were children we were taught to say “Please and Thank you”.  And as adults we continue that practice of saying please and thank you to people who might be complete strangers. But we do not always remember to do the same with our heavenly Father. The beginning of a new year is a good time to change that. Let us be more thankful and remember to connect thank you with please.

When a little boy was given a cookie his mother encouraged him by asking “Johnny, what do you say when someone gives you a cookie?”

“Oh” he paused in deep thought and then said “Can I have another one?”

May our prayers not resemble Johnny’s response.

2Co 9:15  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us

the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.    

1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus concerning you.