“Lord, in Thy sky of blue,
No stain of cloud appears;
Gone all my faithless fears,
Only Thy love seems true.
Help me to thank Thee, then, I pray,
Walk in the light and cheerfully obey!”
Thanksgiving is one of our highest and holiest duties. There are in the Scriptures more commands and calls to praise than to prayer. Yet few duties are more frequently neglected than this. There are many people who are always coming to God with requests, but who do not come to Him with thanksgiving after their request have been granted. Ten lepers once cried to Jesus, as He was passing at a distance, beseeching Him for cleansing. He graciously heard them and granted their plea. When they had been healed, one of the ten returned to thank the Healer, but the other nine came not again with any word in recognition of the great favour they had received. So it is continually – many are blessed and helped, but only one here and there shows gratitude. Our Lord felt keenly the ingratitude of the lepers who returned not. “Where are the nine?” was His pained question. God pours out His gifts and blessings every day upon His children; and whenever no voice of thanksgiving is heard in return, He misses it. If one bird in the forest is silent in the glad spring days, He misses its song. If one human heart fails to utter its praise amid life’s countless blessings, He is disappointed.
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