Someone to whom we can be thankful

My first podcast in this series was called “there is someone who understands”. Today I’d like to think about how there is someone to whom we can be thankful. Again I’m speaking about Jesus Christ.

When I last spoke on HCRfm we were just about get a very clear message from the Prime Minister saying “Stay at home”, and now for days the country has been in a state of lockdown. It’s very strange…

Never before have I had so many emails from CEO’s of companies and supermarkets telling me what they are doing for me.
Never before have I had to limit the number of times I go out of my house.
Never before have we had to broadcast a livestream church on the internet from a living room on a Sunday.

It’s been very hard for some…

Teenagers whose exams have been cancelled and their work seems wasted.
Young couples who have had to put their wedding plans on hold.
Those front-line workers in the police, NHS and supermarkets who are working harder than ever.
Those facing financial uncertainty, or the prospect of critical illness.

Now I know that we are in an “unprecedented situation”, (and that word has been used an unprecedented number of times). I know that the news is bleak and very worrying, and there are people dying but there is someone to whom we can be thankful. You see there are good things happening too…

Pollution has been down and in some places the environment is recovering.
People have been rallying together to serve one another and get to know their neighbours. In our street we’ve started a WhatsApp group to support one another and to make sure those in need, particularly the elderly get their shopping.
People have been keeping one another laughing with hilarious videos and a quizzes sent around to keep laughing. No doubt there will be more of those today with April Fools Day.
Even the weather so far has been pretty good. Imagine how grumpy we would all be if all this started in November?

It’s good to have an attitude of Gratitude. But who do we thank when we are thankful? The NHS, yes. Those loved ones who rally around us, yes. But ultimately who is behind all of them?

Christians always have someone to whom we can be thankful. The God of the Bible is the God who is in control to bring blessing out of tragedy, good out of evil, even life out of death.

There’s an amazing story in Luke’s gospel about 10 people with a critical illness that causes them to isolate themselves from one another. The disease is the 1st century equivalent of Covid-19. It’s called leprosy. Jesus healed them all, but only one came back to say thank you, and Jesus said “Rise and Go, your faith has saved you”.

There is someone to whom we can be thankful. Jesus is the one who can heal us from this fearful disease, but Jesus is the one who can heal us of the even more serious virus of our selfishness and sin which leads to eternal death. The Bible encourages us to put our trust in Jesus Christ- to take refuge in him and know the true safety and security of a relationship with him. There is someone to whom we can be thankful.

So, even when life is tough, there are still things to thank Jesus for. Not least, the rescue that he freely offers us when we trust in him.

Good news for troubled times: there is someone to whom we can be thankful: Jesus Christ.