On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Luke 17:11-18

Thanksgiving should be an attitude that we put into practice as we thank God for the gifts of life.

However, thanksgiving is also more than an attitude. There is a time when we must just say so. In the passage above we find ten men who were instantaneously cured of their leprosy and then there is one. One man out of ten who “turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.”

• The samaritan was intentional. When he realized the change in his body, he turned back and made his way through the crowd. In the same way, we should be deliberate and purposeful in our praise of God.
• The samaritan was passionate. He wasn’t shy about his praise for God. How often are we less thank passionate about our manner of worship?
• The samaritan was devoted. When he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and gave Him thanks, the word used for thanks indicated that he was worshipping Jesus as God. If we are followers of Christ, shouldn’t we also be completed devoted to Him?

I imagine that for the samaritan, never did a day go by without him remembering and giving thanks for what God did in his life. Thanksgiving day is celebrated once a year, but we should also be the kind of people who are identified by our intentional, passionate and devoted thanksgiving directed to the One who has saved us.