Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Thanksgiving Day- Canada


St. Luke 17:11-19 
VV. 15-16: “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” 

Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends! 
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and being from the United States, it is quite the production. All our family gets together and there is way too much food, food we only have during the special holiday. To be honest, I look forward to the side dishes more than the entrees. Some lucky people will share one to four Thanksgiving meals with their family and friends during the holiday season. This holiday or a version of it is observed in thirteen countries around the world. It is also an opportunity for us to intentionally pause and reflect on all the blessings we are thankful for. Many of us recollect the prayers God has answered and gratefully thank Him during these days. 
As I read today’s passage about Jesus healing the ten lepers, the phrase that stood out to me was, “praising God in a loud voice.” I was convicted by the Samaritan leper’s reaction. I was reminded of all those moments in my life when I prayed to God for something and begged Him to answer my requests and often it was a passionate and loud plea. But how frequently did I thank God with that same loud voice? Why are our appeals to the Lord often more forceful than our moments of gratitude?
The word "thanked" in verse 16 is the Greek eucharisteo, which means to be grateful, feel thankful, and give thanks. The word Eucharist is a derivation of this word. How many eucharistic moments have we allowed to pass us by? The leper’s eucharistic moment should always challenge us to model our thankful moments like that of the Samaritan. 

Prayer
Dear Lord, as the Samaritan leper threw himself at Your feet in gratitude, we too thank You for Your countless blessings and unfailing love. AMEN. 
 
Thought for the Day
“If a person is truly grateful, he shows it, and he shows it in worship and service to God.”
- R.C. Sproul

Dr. Ron Jacob 
Long Island Mar Thoma Church, New York.

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