THE SUBSTANCE OF FAITH (7)

THANKS-GIVING

One of my mentors said when you thank God for what He has done; you are indirectly reminding Him of what you need. We are too casual with our lives that we forget to thank God for what He is or has done. Thank God for strength in your bones, vision, hearing, locomotion, life etc. and always remember that we are saved by grace, Ephesians 2v8. If not what could have been the offense of those who are on the other side of where you are? I mean the blind, impoverished, deaf, dumb, lame, dead, hospitalized, hunger, indeed it is an endless list. Those younger or older even your age mates have gone or are in one predicament or the other. When you sit down and think carefully through this few lines you will discover how much of an ingrate you have been and how much you don't deserve to ask God for anything till further notice. When I caught this revelation I began to thank more than I ask. I thank God on the water closet while I do my business there. Many do that same exercise with aides. You have no meat on your food but there are many outside there that don't have food. Many even have it and cannot eat it because their appetites are gone. Some don't have swallow anymore but you enjoy all these in good measure. I wouldn't say much on this substance of faith because I already feel with the little I have said you should be remorseful. A nation could be ungrateful so it doesn't only have to do with individuals.

However in Luke 17v12-19 Jesus attended to ten lepers but only one returned to give thanks for what he had received and he got something more than the remaining nine. God expects us to give thanks because when this man returned He said;

“...were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”

This simply means that God expects us to return to give Him glory through our thanks giving.  In response to the return of that cleansed leper He said;

“...Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole”

This is to say that the nine only got cleaned and are still vulnerable to being infected again but the one who returned to give thanks got something more than other, he was eternally immunized against any future infection. Isn't that better? To further establish the subject of thanks giving lets add 1Thessalonians 5v18 which says;

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”

Conclusively, other substance of faith will deliver your expectations while that of thanks giving will give you much more than you were expecting. Those with great expectations are always found on this tract and are never put to shame. These substances of faith are your major pathway to the treasure house of God without which you can't attain to anything meaningful in life. God bless you