Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
My father tells of a story when his car caught on fire, after a week of back to back unfortunate events. He was so frustrated and felt completely defeated. After a mini tantrum, the Lord impressed on his heart to give thanks—to which he questioned, “Give thanks, for what?” The Lord again said, “Give thanks.” He began with general things to give thanks for and eventually got to “Thank you that I wasn’t in the car, thank you that my family wasn’t in the car, thank you that I wasn’t driving when the car caught fire.” My father said his whole perspective shifted, and the focus was now not on the burning car, but that his family was safe and sound!
As it says in verse 18, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” The Lord didn’t say be thankful for allowing my car to catch fire, but to be thankful in all circumstances. There will always be something to give thanks for. It’s easy to give thanks when things are good, but a spirit of thankfulness during unfortunate circumstances is submitting to what our Lord commands. And I believe He does so for His glory and for our good. He’s got us. Let’s be joyful in our day to day, so when things happen unexpectedly, it might be easier to see God’s hand in it, because He is always and forever with us.
Ps Jenny Rodriguez
Dear Lord, we praise you and thank you for your goodness and kindness. I pray that we would seek you continually, and that we would be thankful in all circumstances. May we put our flesh aside and trust in you, for you are a faithful Father! In Jesus’s name we pray, amen.
