I’m sure many of us are thinking the same thought today, “I
can’t believe Thanksgiving is only a few days away!” I’m feeling the same sentiment. Whether you are preparing for 50 people or 5,
there is still preparation. I find myself ensuring I have enough chairs,
where is everyone going to sit, will I have enough turkey (and I better ensure
I have enough stuffing my mom reminds me).
Yet, with all that preparation, I breathe and take a moment for thanks.
These verses from 1 Thessalonians have become some of my favorites. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” A few years ago, I made a point of spending
time with these verses, understanding the power in these words. At face value, one may say, “Doing that is
easy enough!” Maybe it is for some, but
for me, I found myself falling short.
Let’s take each one.
Rejoice Always – When something wonderful
happens, we can find ourselves celebrating for that which makes us happy. In the moment, there can be joy and smiles, laughter,
and happiness. Do I share thanks with
our Lord for those moments? Does pride
seep in and I forget where the goodness comes from? Taking the time to rejoice always in good
(and the tough) situations is what God wants from us. He certainly deserves our rejoicing in him,
always!
Pray Continually – I admire folks who have
prayer journals and sit down with those journals daily to pray for those in
need. I’m not one of those folks. My prayer time is erratic and many times I
find my quiet prayer time to be in the car, driving to work in the
morning. It is one of the many things I
fall short with and keep trying to improve.
One area I have gained in prayer is praying immediately. What does that look like? Taking a few moments to pray for that tough
meeting I may have, or ensuring I lift someone up to God when I hear of a
health situation or a difficult time for them.
Immediately talking to God has brought him into my life continuously
throughout the day.
Give Thanks in All Circumstances –To give thanks
for all? That’s much to ask from us
humans, isn’t it? Giving thanks to God
for hurt and despair, for heartache and ill health, for sadness and loneliness can
be a very tall order. Why am I thanking
God if I’m ill or lonely? I struggled
with that concept for a long time. I realized
that the glory may not come in the situation, but that I have a God I can go
to, to talk with, who understands what I am dealing with. Yes, little me among the billions of people,
has God’s ear and God has my heart. He
knows when life is hard for us. The more
we go to him with, “God, I may not know your plan, but I know you are my
God. This road may be tough for me now,
but I am thankful for what you are showing me and teaching me.” It isn’t an easy prayer to say, especially if
we are angry or in despair. That is when
God wants us to reach out to him.
Giving thanks for all we have, the good and the bad, the joy
and the sadness, can seem difficult.
Friends, we have a God who understands us and wants us to come to him with
it all. He wants to help us get
through the tough times with him by our side.
Revel in the knowledge that our God knows the plan for us. He will be there for us if we go to him with a
thankful heart. Happy Thanksgiving to
All!
Heavenly Father, we thank you for it all! Help us to always come to you rejoicing, praying,
and giving thanks in all circumstances!
Amen
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