And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
Do we return to thank Jesus? He gives us so many blessings. He does wondrous things on the earth. Life and everything in life that gives us joy of heart comes from him.
Paul is a good example. He is constantly giving thanks to God.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus
Paul gives thanks for what he himself receives from the LORD. He gives thanks for what his congregation receives. He gives thanks for their faith, their obedience. He tells us he is actually "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father" (see Ephesians 5:20). This is a great model for us to follow. His faith is firm and his commitment is strong. One reason for this is his trust in God is built up by actually thanking him for all he receives. If we learn to give thanks we can have the confidence of Paul:
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mary is the best example of treasuring the blessings of the LORD. She reflects on them and treasures them in her heart. If we imitate Mary and Paul the enemy won't be able to steal the blessings from our hearts and make us forget them. He won't be able to undermine our trust in God even during difficult times.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
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