Friday, September 4 Show yourselves thankful.​—Col. 3:15.

[Ella Mentry]

Friday, September 4

Show yourselves thankful.—Col. 3:15.

 

The ten men were desperate. They had leprosy, and the future looked bleak. But one day, they saw Jesus, the Great Teacher, from a distance. They had heard that Jesus healed all sorts of sicknesses. So they cried out: “Jesus, Instructor, have mercy on us!” The ten men were completely cured. No doubt all of them were grateful for Jesus’ kindness. One of them, however, did more than feel gratitude—he expressed his appreciation to Jesus. That healed man, a Samaritan, felt compelled to glorify God “with a loud voice.” (Luke 17:12-19) Like the Samaritan, we want to express our gratitude to those who are kind. Jehovah sets the example for us in expressing appreciation. One way he does this is by rewarding those who please him. (2 Sam. 22:21; Ps. 13:6; Matt. 10:40, 41) And the Scriptures encourage us to “become imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Eph. 5:1) So a key reason why we should express appreciation is that we want to follow Jehovah’s example. w19.02 14 ¶1-2; 15 ¶4