Unlimited: Give Thanks In Every Circumstance | Good News Unlimited
Unlimited: Give Thanks in Every Circumstance
Nov 8, 2024 1652
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV).
These words of Paul represent one of the most challenging pieces of advice in the Bible. It’s easy to give thanks for the good things that come our way, but “in all circumstances”? How are we to understand that?
Jesus had just finished denouncing the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed because they did not repent and accept him (Matthew 11:20-24). Then, in what seems very strange to us, he lifts his eyes to heaven and breaks out into a beautiful prayer of thanks! (vv.25-26). There are some important lessons to be learnt here.
The first lesson is that Jesus sees every setback as an opportunity for the Father to bless in another way. The second lesson is that Jesus is able to survive disappointment because he accepts that it is the will of the Father. He understands that God’s purposes cannot be thwarted; that if God does not fulfil his will in one way, he will do it in another.
Whatever happens to a child of God is only what God does or what he permits, nothing more and nothing less. Beyond our understanding, God can turn everything to his purpose. Because of that, Paul is able to say, “Give thanks in everything.”
– Eliezer Gonzalez
Eli’s Reflection: Think about a difficult situation that you are going through right now. Have you come to the point in which you are able to give thanks to God for everything? Are you able, like Jesus, to lift your eyes to heaven and humbly say, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, and Lord of my life, thank you”?
