Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in
all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18
Give thanks. This is a command from
God. He wants His children to be grateful, to remember how much
you have been given. Expressing thanks helps you remember that everything
comes from the hand of God.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or
shadow due to change. James 1:17
Many receive God’s blessings and never give thanks or think about where their blessings come from. God’s mercies are new every morning … life, breath, health, food, clothing, shelter, transportation, a job and money to meet your needs. You receive all that God gives, but do you
take time to acknowledge the giver?
Give
thanks to the Lord because He is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
Be thankful for the good things as well as the bad. When you learn to thank God for everything He allows into your
life, then you won’t become bitter. You can’t be thankful and bitter at the
same time. You can even thank Him for your suffering, because God
uses suffering to develop your character.
We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces
hope. Romans 5:3-4
You can be sick and still be thankful. You can grieve
and still be thankful. Sometimes things happen to us that don’t make sense. Only God sees the big picture. You may not understand why God
allows certain things in your life but God
paints on a canvas much larger than our tiny vision.
And we know that God causes all things to work
together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to
His purpose. Romans 8:28
