Don’t you think some of the hardest commands seem to be the ones that are the most clear and straightforward, like “be joyful always,” “pray without ceasing,” and our verse for today, “give thanks in all circumstances?”

I find it hard because there are no loopholes; no room for excuses. We are told plain and simple that God wants our lives to be characterized by thankfulness, and I can’t weasel my way out of that one.

To give thanks in all circumstances does not mean that we plaster on fake smiles and throw out the phrase “praise the Lord” every five minutes. Instead, we are to have a posture of gratitude that flows out of our hearts and is seen in every area and circumstance of our lives.

All The Good Things

Have you ever thought about the fact that we would have nothing good in our lives if it were not for God placing it there? James tells us that every good gift we have comes from God (James 1:17).

Every good gift!  No matter how small or how large, they are placed in your life by your good and gracious Father.  Things like that beautiful sunny day, the chairs we sit on, the meals we eat, relief from pain, our salvation, our talents and our gifts, good memories, fun experiences, our growth in godliness, new shoes, sweet moments with our kids, date nights with our spouse… all of it comes from our good and gracious God.  Knowing that we don’t deserve any of those things should produce in us deep thankfulness.

All The Hard Things

Don’t you think it is easier to be thankful during good times than during hard times? But we should be grateful during our dark days as well. It is important to understand the connection between trials and the life of a Christian.

The trials and sufferings in our lives are there to strengthen us. They are there to help us turn away from the world and toward Jesus. Sometimes God withholds what we desire to possibly protect us from some kind of harm, to sanctify us, grow our faith, to teach us to be more like Jesus, to refine us and grow in us the fruit of the Spirit, and to glorify God. We tend to be a bit shortsighted, only seeing the immediate, but God views not only our life now, but also our life in eternity, for which He is preparing us.

So even during hard times we can thank God, because none of our tears are wasted and not one minute of our hardships are without reason.

Remember that God’s mercies are new every morning, that His provisions flow throughout our days, and His protective eye is on us at night.

Of all people, we have the most reason to be characterized by thankfulness.

We have a Savior who took away our sins.
We have a God who fights for us.
Our life has meaning and is worth living.
Our souls are safe.
Our future is secure.

Let’s pray that God would help us be women who are characterized by deep gratitude that goes beyond the Thanksgiving season.

Looking To Jesus,

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Sad that our In Everything Give Thanks study is coming to an end? Don’t be! Join us on November 28th as we begin our new Advent study: God With Us! Grab a copy of our God With Us journal on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2f2GJcB (aff)

Jen Thorn

Jen Thorn grew up in Germany and then spent her teenage years in Africa, where her parents were missionaries. She moved to the United States for college and attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband. They have been married for twenty-two years and have four children. Jen lives in the suburbs of Chicago, where her husband is the pastor of Redeemer Fellowship. Jen is passionate about theology and the connection to daily living.