Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Happy Thanksgiving Day! It’s a day meant to be full of gratitude. Are we? Let us to give thanks in all circumstances.

Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day in America. Most Americans are familiar with the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving Feast of 1621. The harvest was plentiful. The celebration lasted three days. Four hundred years later, we still celebrate. If we Americans celebrated Thanksgiving Day for three days now, we’d all be wobbling around like turkeys. 

I love celebrating, and I plan to celebrate today with family and friends. But first, I celebrate with God and give thanks to Him. Reading His Word this morning, He reminded me this is exactly what His will is for us.

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

It’s easy to celebrate and be thankful when the harvest is plentiful and when things in life are going great. But what about when our harvest is not plentiful, and life’s trials erupt? 

Well, God gives us instruction what to do. 

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV

No matter the circumstance, we can be thankful for God’s presence and all the good He continues to do in the good times and even in our distress. 

So today, friend, if you are going through a difficult time and it seems hard to be thankful, I recommend give thanks anyway. Give thanks in all circumstances. We can do it. 

I think of a song I’ve sung many times during stormy days and seasons. Casting Crowns’ “Praise You in This Storm.” I encourage you to listen to this song. It has helped me numerous times to get my heart, soul, mind, and body praising Jesus and thanking Him. Here’s just a snippet of the lyrics that always cause my spirit to soar with thankfulness to my God.

And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Yes, I will choose to praise Jesus no matter where I am.

Gratitude is a Choice

Friend, gratitude is a choice. It is possible to give thanks in all circumstances. I know because I do it. I’ve mentioned so many times throughout the years that joy and sorrow travel together in this world. So, if we only give thanks during joyful times, well, that means at least half of our life we aren’t giving thanks at all. 

So, choose to be grateful in the good times and bad times. If you are going through a bad time right now, give thanks to God for His loving kindness. Give thanks to Him for never leaving you. Give thanks to Him for understanding your situation. If anyone can understand, Jesus can.

Today, let’s give thanks in all circumstances because this is God’s will for us.

Happy Thanksgiving, friend. I’m grateful for you. And thank you for supporting me during the November New Challenge.

Blessing

May we lift our hearts upward and thank Jesus, no matter what’s going on today or in this season. May we choose to be grateful when the harvest is plentiful and even when it’s not.