Tag Archives: Thankful IN all things?

Gratitude Isn’t Seasonal??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #271

11 Friday Oct 2024

Posted by in Gratitude, Gratitude Is Timeless, Gratitude to Generosity, Smile if you love Jesus!, SMILE!!! Jesus loves YOU!!, Smiling is contagious, Thankful, Thankfulness with joy!, Thanksgiving

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Gratitude Isn’t Seasonal???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #271

“In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

concerning you.”  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Paul’s instruction to give “thanks” wasn’t a suggestion but an instruction to be a thankful people in all things.  Corrie Ten Boom told many accounts of being thankful in the midst of a hell on earth, and the platform that God gave her when she came out of that situation is immeasurable, and still bears fruit!  God always knows where we are and what is going on beyond our comprehension of His working in our lives, through our trials, by our faithful perseverance with a grateful and obedient heart!

The Psalms are replete with expressions of gratitude—which is often difficult to maintain in the materialistic and selfish world we live in (not to count the evil that seems to be multiplying exponentially)!  May we take some time today to remind ourselves that a grateful heart is an honor to our God, and a blessing to those around us.  Gratitude is contagious!  Spread a little around today.

“It is a good thing to give thanks

unto the LORD,

and to sing praises

unto thy name, O most High:

2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness

in the morning,

and thy faithfulness

every night,” Psalm 92:1-2

“Rejoice in the LORD,

ye righteous;

and give thanks

at the remembrance of his holiness.”  Psalm 97:12

What a wonderful God we serve, and I pray that you will find hope, encouragement, delight and a renewed heart full of gratitude in our time together today.  Let’s peruse a few more reminders from the scriptures to encourage our hearts together.  Watch the repeated directions from the Psalms.

“Praise ye the LORD.

O give thanks unto the LORD;

for he is good:

for his mercy endureth for ever.”  Psalm 107:1

“O give thanks unto the LORD;

for he is good:

because his mercy

endureth for ever.”  Psalm 118:1

“Thou art my God,

and I will praise thee:

thou art my God,

I will exalt thee.

29 O give thanks unto the LORD;

for he is good:

for his mercy endureth for ever.”  Psalm 118:28-29

And one of my favorite passages from Paul, it encourages my heart often and I encourage you to memorize it for it is a great word to help us press on to victory!

“But thanks be to God,

which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be ye stedfast, unmoveable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know

that your labour is not in vain

in the Lord.”  1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Amen and Amen!!!

What Am I Thankful For??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #11

08 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abiding In Jesus, Giving Or Taking?, Glory To God, Gratitude, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Greater is HE that is IN US!, The LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT Reigneth!, Though HE slay me--still will I trust HIM

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What Am I Thankful For???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #11

Bible Ballistics

“See that none render evil

for evil

unto any man;

but ever follow

that which is good,

both among yourselves,

and to all men.

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus

concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit.

20 Despise not prophesyings.  

21 Prove all things;

hold fast that which is good.

22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23 And the very God of peace

sanctify you wholly;

and I pray God

your whole spirit

and soul

and body

be preserved blameless

unto the coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

24 Faithful is he that calleth you,

who also will do it.”   1 Thessalonians 5:15-24

I love this precious list of things which Paul encouraged the believers in Thessalonica to observe, oh, that we might follow suit and set our hearts and minds on this kind of holy living, dependence on our Lord Jesus, and loving gratitude to HIM “IN EVERYTHING”!  There is something I’d like to point out for our consideration today; I’ve often heard it said that we are to give thanks “IN” all things but not “FOR” all things!  I’ve even been heard to say that very thing, but what does scripture say?  Let’s find out.  First from Paul’s letter to the Roman believers:

“And we know that all things work together

for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called

according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow,

he also did predestinate

to be conformed to the image of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn

among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate,

them he also called:

and whom he called,

them he also justified:

and whom he justified,

them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things?

If God be for us,

who can be against us?”  Romans 8:28-31

While verse 28 is often quoted or shared in times of trial or crises, we so often miss verse 29 and following (I know I did for many years!), for while we have confidence that “all things” are working for our good—and they are—we must allow scripture to say what it says; for our confidence is not just in some “pie in the sky” hope that “things will all work out somehow”, because our confidence MUST rest in the truth that GOD IS WORKING on our behalf, not in some ethereal random purpose, but that ‘ALL’ has the purpose of causing believers to “be conformed to the image of his Son”!  Therefore, it’s important to follow the flow of this passage; God is conforming us into the image of our Lord Jesus, yet Paul also reminds us of who we are IN Jesus, we are “called….justified…and glorified” by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross!  Are we living in light of these truths?  Paul concludes this section of scripture with a powerful truth: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”!  And my friends that is what I want us to understand in this brief study; because God not only calls us to be thankful “in” all things, but HE actually calls us to be thankful “FOR” all things—because HE holds it all!

“Speaking to yourselves

in psalms

and hymns

and spiritual songs,

singing

and making melody

in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things

unto God and the Father

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”  Ephesians 5:19-20

How? By remembering whose we are, and how we became His children (See John 1:12-14); and standing fast in this truth (which has always been truth) we can confidently proclaim with Job:

“Though he slay me,

yet will I trust in him:

but I will maintain mine own ways

before him.”  Job 13:15

“And said,

Naked came I out of my mother’s womb,

and naked shall I return thither:

the LORD gave,

and the LORD hath taken away;

blessed be the name of the LORD.

22 In all this Job sinned not,

nor charged God foolishly.”  Job 1:21-22

As we close, may we remember these truths and stand with Paul and Job, knowing that our confidence is in The ONE Who has redeemed us by HIS own blood, and HE is coming back for us someday soon!

“For I know that my redeemer liveth,

and that he shall stand

at the latter day

upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body,

yet in my flesh

shall I see God:

27 Whom I shall see for myself,

and mine eyes shall behold,

and not another;

though my reins be consumed within me.”   Job 19:25-27

What are you thankful for?  In all things and for all things we can practice our “attitude of gratitude”; because our God reigns in ALL!

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying,

Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice,

and give honour to him… ”  Revelation 19:6-7a

Amen and Amen!!!