In Everything Give Thanks
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
This verse says that it’s God’s will for everyone who believes in Jesus to be thankful.
Some things in our lives are truly worth being thankful for. We are thankful for good health, family, friends, and finances. However, some very difficult circumstances can also occur in our lives. We might face an illness, the death of a loved one, a broken relationship, or a serious car accident. How can God expect us to be thankful for those things? But look closely at what Thessalonians 5:18 really says. Some might think that this verse tells us to be grateful for all of our circumstances. But the verse actually says to be thankful in all our circumstances. The original Greek word for “in” used here means “in the middle of” or “during.”
In other words, no matter what is happening in the middle of your life, you can learn the habit of thankfulness. The Bible gives us a long list of things for which we should be thankful. These are the things that never change, no matter what is happening in our life.
We are to be thankful:
That God is Good (1 Chronicles 16:34)
That His love lasts Forever (Psalm 106:1)
For God’s amazing Grace (1 Corinthians 1:11)
For the wonderful Things God does (Psalm 107:8)
Because God answers Prayer (Psalm 118:21)
For His perfect Laws of life (Psalm 119:62)
Because God gives us Wisdom and reveals His truth to us (Daniel 2:22-23)
For fellow Believers (Philippians 1:3)
And most of all, we should be thankful because God gave His Son, Jesus, to save us from the punishment of our sin and give us new life! (1 Corinthians 15:57) God saves all who believe in Jesus; He has taken our sin and given us His righteousness.
Few things are more irritating than a thankless spirit; even Shakespeare called it ‘sharper than a serpent’s tooth.’ A few days ago, I was with a friend when we got caught in a traffic jam. He gave a motorist a break, letting him go in front of him into the flow of traffic; the thankless motorist didn’t acknowledge his kindness, not even with a nod. It was as if he believed he deserved the favor. My not-so-spiritual friend responded verbally in a not-so-spiritual manner. Make no mistake: when someone goes through life with a thankless spirit, looking down on others as if they ‘deserve’ the favor, they will have a bumpy road. No one appreciates someone with a thankless attitude! God is no exception. We should always make time to thank Him for the good things in life, regardless of any
difficult circumstances we may be going through.
The Bible says that being thankful brings honor to God. “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:23).
God actually commands us to be thankful. In the Old Testament, the Jews were commanded to give Thank offerings to the Lord. When we thank God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Him
No matter what is happening in your life, give thanks to God in the middle of your circumstances.
I believe the Pilgrims who arrived on our somewhat unfriendly northern shores over 150 years ago exemplify gratitude in all circumstances. In 1620, a group of 102 passengers set out for the New World. These individuals were English citizens known as Separatists, also called Pilgrims. The Separatists desired to live in a land where they could worship God as they believed He wanted. At that time, England had only one type of church. Everyone attended the same church, which did not effectively preach the gospel of repentance. Therefore, the Separatists “separated” themselves from the Church of England, risking everything to journey to the New World or America
The brave Pilgrims spent three wet, drippy, cold months at sea aboard their ship called the Mayflower. They arrived in America on December 21. According to the journal of Governor William Bradford, as soon as the Pilgrims landed safely ashore, “they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean.”
Even though the journey had been life-threatening and they were facing an even more uncertain future, the Pilgrims thanked God for bringing them this far.
It was the dead of winter in the icy northeast. The first thing the people did was build a place to worship God together. The families had to live on the wet, drafty Mayflower while the men-built houses cut from the forest. Their lives were fragile from one day to the next. There were no stores to buy wood, tools, or food. In the middle of winter, they couldn’t harvest food from the frozen ground. The Pilgrims were constantly hungry and cold. Soon, sickness struck, but there were no hospitals for them to go to for treatment. The Pilgrims started to die. By the end of winter, nearly half of them had died.
Can you imagine what it would be like if you and your family were part of the Pilgrims? What if you left everything you knew to go to an untamed foreign land so you could worship God, and within the first few months, half of your family died? Do you think you could still be thankful to the Lord?
Even in these worst times, the Pilgrims thanked the Lord every day. They were thankful even though so many people died. They were grateful in their circumstances. Even in their grief, they found things to be thankful for.
The Pilgrims prayed continually for God’s help and guidance. One day in March, during a church service, God sent a big answer to their prayers. In walked an Indian chief named Samoset. He saw the Pilgrims’ serious needs and came back with an Indian helper named Squanto. Before this time, the Pilgrims had been terribly afraid of the Indians.
Squanto spoke English! He had been captured previously by explorers and taken to Spain to be sold as a slave. He escaped to England, where he learned to speak perfect English. A kind Englishman paid for his voyage back to his homeland, and now he was here to help the Pilgrims. This shows how the providential hand of God was at work in the Pilgrims’ journey, demonstrating how He can bring all things together for good and answer the prayers of His people. It was a critical time in the settlement of America. One can only imagine how shocked and blessed these first settlers felt when they saw and heard a native Indian walking out of the forest and begin speaking English to them. In the words of the Pilgrim’s leader, Governor William Bradford, “Squanto became a special instrument sent of God for [our] good.” It was divine providence.
We can compare Squanto’s life with that of Joseph in Genesis 37-45. Joseph was captured and taken to a foreign land, where he was taught a foreign language and was prepared by God to feed His people.
Squanto taught the Pilgrims to hunt deer and other animals. He taught them how to trap beavers. He taught them how to grow corn. The trick was to bury a fish in the ground so the soil would have the proper nutrients to grow the best crops. He also helped them trade with other Indian tribes.
The following fall, their harvest was plentiful. Governor William Bradford declared a day of Thanksgiving to God to be held in October. He invited a friendly Indian neighbor to join them at the feast. When this Indian arrived, he brought 90 additional Indians with him! The Pilgrims didn’t know how they would feed that many guests, but the Indians had brought five deer and a dozen wild turkeys to eat. The Pilgrims prepared vegetables such as carrots, beets, cucumbers, and turnips. The Indians taught the Pilgrims how to make cornmeal pudding and toast corn kernels until they popped!
But the hardship didn’t end there. The following winter was incredibly harsh and challenging. In November, another ship, called The Fortune, arrived. On board, there were 35 more settlers. These people arrived with no food, no warm clothes, and no other supplies. The Pilgrims would have to share what little they had. At one point, each person was allowed only 5 kernels of corn per day! Can you imagine having less than one spoonful of corn per day?
The following summer, there was a 12-week drought. The crops were dying, and the Pilgrims desperately needed God’s help. The Pilgrims fell to their knees and prayed for 8 hours.
Do you think God heard their prayers? God always hears our prayers (Psalm 6:9). And God’s answer was incredible. It started to rain, and it didn’t stop for 14 days! The harvest was saved. To celebrate, the Pilgrims had a second day of giving thanks to the Lord. Again, the Indians were invited to the feast. This time, 120 Indians came to celebrate with their Pilgrim friends. Again, they prepared deer and turkey, as well as fruits and vegetables.
“Only this time, one dish was different. The first course, served on an empty plate in front of each person, consisted of 5 kernels of corn, a gentle reminder of God’s faithful provision for them. This helped the Pilgrims remember that it was only by God’s grace that they had the bountiful harvest. No amount of hard work or skill could have produced a good crop without rain. Only God could bring the rain that they needed!
We can learn a lot from the Pilgrims’ example. They faced many tough situations—hunger, sickness, freezing weather, and even death. Still, they remembered the most important thing: God was in control. By thanking God for His grace and blessings during difficult times, they honored Him and kept their focus on Him. They gave thanks to God every day, and He provided them with the grace they needed to survive, thrive, and build a new country.
No matter what happens in your life, give thanks to the Lord. His grace is abundant, His love for you lasts forever, and He grants eternal life to everyone who trusts in His Son.
“Thus, out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things out of nothing and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.” – Puritan Governor William Bradford.
“Be thankful in all circumstances,” for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” –
He’s Only a Prayer Away.
Pastor Robert Bryant