Just because Thanksgiving has passed does not mean we have to forget about a sincere heart of thankfulness. 1st Thessalonians 5 speaks of this as it declares: “In everything give thanks.” I realize that everyone has life challenges and sometimes suffering that has caused us to question at times if God is around, does He hear us or does He care. We may say or think, “If He really cared, why didn’t He do something or stop this event from happening?” These are difficult questions to wrestle through.
To understand the covenant that God has invited us to enter, we also need to remember that He is holy, faithful and trustworthy. His will for us is based on His best intended development for us. He knows what we need. He chooses to love us. The struggles we experience do not dictate or change His love for us. He guides us back to the promises and blessings of being in relationship with HIm. My attitude or sin may affect my joy and disrupt my communion with Him, but He does not give up on me.
After we wrestle with Him and some of our discouragement subsides, I believe Adam Clark summarizes and gives great encouragement in the following found in his commentary on 1st Thessalonians 5:18. It states: In everything give thanks, for this reason, that all things work together for good to them that love God; therefore, every occurrence may be a subject of gratitude and thankfulness. While we live to God, prosperity and adversity will be equally helpful to you. For this is the will of God, that ye should be always happy; that he should ever be in the spirit of prayer; and that ye should profit by every occurrence in life, and be continually grateful and obedient; for gratitude and obedience are inseparably connected.
I am not saying that there are not challenges for each believer, but even James reminds us of Job in James 5:11: “We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”
Lord, give us a heart of thanksgiving! Thank you for Your love, Your mercy, grace and compassion!
In HIs Covenant Love,
