In Everything Give
Thanks
By Lonnie C. Crowe
Because life can be difficult
and people are free to make unwise decisions that adversely affect us, we can
become weary, fearful and decidedly negative.
What is worse, we often misquote scripture by saying that we are to be
thankful for everything. God does
not tell us to be thankful for everything, but to be thankful in everything.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Empowered
by the indwelling Holy Spirit we can do just that. The world situation is bleak, but in Jesus
Christ, we can move into the joy of the Lord in spite of what is happening around
us. Every day we can say, “This is the
day the Lord has made and I have determined that I am going to rejoice and be
glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24).
I
rejoice and give thanks because there is no god like Jehovah. He is all good and all loving. If something is good, it comes from God. If it isn’t good, it has another source. Even when adverse circumstances surround me,
I rejoice in the knowledge that He is able to make all things work together for
good to those who love Him and are walking according to His will. (Romans
8:28.)
I
rejoice and give thanks because God is Jehovah Jirah. He has gone ahead of my circumstances and has
made provision for me. He is my source
and my sustainer.
I
praise Him because He is Jehovah Rapha, my healer. In the shed blood of Jesus Christ, He has
healed my sin-sick soul. He has touched
my body and brought life and health. He
has soothed my fear and trauma and brought me peace.
Thank
you, Father God, for making me your child, for bringing me hope and joy in
a world mired in hopelessness, for loving me when I am at my most unlovable, for
sharing both my tears and my laughter, for giving me a new song to sing, for “giving
me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness.” (Isaiah 61:3)
Amen.
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