Does God really care about our thankfulness? Does He really even notice it? If you are ever tempted to believe that your thankfulness towards God just isn't a big deal, I would challenge you to go check out the story in Luke 17:11-19.
In this story, Jesus encounters ten lepers. (leprosy is an infectious disease that is characterized by disfiguring sores, nerve damage, and progressive debilitation.) Many believed that it was also a sign that God was displeased with the person that had it. It wasn't something that you went to the local doctor for to receive a cure. If you had it, (no matter what your occupation or social standing in the
community,) you were ostracized, sent away from your family to live with other unfortunates who had the horrible malady.
It's obvious then, that the ten lepers that Jesus encountered would be more than a little interested in what He could do for them. They were desperate! Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priests, (according to law, the priests would have to examine the lepers and pronounce them clean, if indeed they were.) The Bible is clear, that as they went to be examined that they were made clean.
What would you do if the disease that had stolen your life had suddenly and miraculously disappeared? Would you be calm, cool, and collected, or would you jump around, sing, and shout? The account in Luke isn't clear about how the ten of them demonstrated their excitement...except one!
Grab your bible for a moment, and read the descriptive language that is used in the passage that I shared with you in the first part of this e-Devotional. I think you will agree, that God thinks that being thankful is very important.
