This Thanksgiving season, we should not only give thanks for all the good things we are grateful for. As Christians, thanksgiving should be a way of life; it should be a daily habit and not a onetime event that should be celebrated only during the November season.
I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. This is counterintuitive in our culture, right? I mean, how could you be grateful if you missed your flight, your kitchen appliances break down, or your car won’t start and need major repairs? But read the verse again and meditate on it. The Lord God said to give thanks in everything. So that means everything — from the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Why would God command us to be grateful for the bad, discomforting things that are going on in our lives? Doesn’t he want us to be happy and be at peace? After all, did he not calm the sea and the waves when his disciples were caught in a violent storm and were close to drowning? Did he not say, “Peace, be still!”?
With the pandemic, social unrest, unemployment, wars and the violence going on around us, and you feel the windstorm closing in on you, drowning just like the disciples, and you just can’t take one more disaster, do you still have to be thankful?
YES! Yes, you do.
Here’s the thing:
Everything that happens to us is under the permissive will of the Lord. We may not like it, but we need to exercise our faith in trying times. God permitted it because He has a good purpose for it. He knows the end from the beginning. We just have to trust his heart. Remember: God is good. Everything he does is for our good and benefit. Look at the verse above. It says ‘to give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will concerning you.’
If you believe God is good and He is for you and not against you, then what is there to be fearful about? You should know that even evil things can be used by God to bring out the best in us. He can do something good in adversity. He knows exactly where you are, and He also knows where to take you to the next level so you can be fruitful.
When God molds us into the person who he wants us to be, the process is hurtful. It’s painful because He chisels and removes any imperfections that are not befitting as His child. But the end result is a wonderful creation fit for His work and His glory. Just trust Him. You’ll never go wrong.
And considering this Thanksgiving season, Revelation Media has put out a Pilgrim’s Progress movie you can watch for FREE. The Pilgrim’s Progress is told in an allegory and is based on John Bunyan’s epic masterpiece, which tells the story of a Christian’s journey through life. Despite all the difficulties and challenges, there is ONE who is always faithful and who guides so you can walk in a straight path toward the Celestial destination.
God has already given us his greatest gift. The best response that you can give is a humble and repentant heart that will receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior.
