Give Thanks

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thess. 5:18


The verse says “In” everything… not “for” everything. In other words,
in trials, we are to give thanks;
In rejoicing, we are to give thanks;
In fears we are to give thanks,
And in poverty or wealth, we are to give thanks.

No matter what state we are in, we are to give thanks, and we can if we realize that nothing comes our way but that it must go through the loving Father. Trials, fears, heartaches, sickness, whatever it may be, must be “filtered” through the loving grace of God; be assured, it will be ok if He has allowed it for us. What burden do you carry? What grief do you face? Remember that God has allowed it for you, and if he allows it, we need it, it fulfills His purpose in us. Trials are often a training ground for some, and a proving ground for others; either way, we come out better in the end; this we sometimes must accept by faith. Who loves us more than our Lord? Who wants the best for us more than the Lord? Don’t you see, these things are needed, though we may not understand why. Just quit complaining, and give thanks that you will be closer to what the Lord wants you to be because of the trials he allows you to have. We don’t have to give thanks for the parting of a loved one, or the tragic handicap that is thrown on us, but let us give thanks for the finished product that we are when we come out on the other side of the trial.