Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for
you. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Jesus is the answer to every problem we have,
and He alone is sufficient to meet all our needs. We can come to Him any time with our requests. Paul tells the church in Thessalonica to stay
in a posture of prayer by rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and giving
thanks in all circumstances.
Rejoice Always – If you have ever been in the middle of unbearable circumstances, then you know how hard it is to rejoice always when the walls are falling down around you. And yet, this is what we are called to do. Even when it is hard, we are to rejoice. What can we rejoice about when difficult circumstances surround us? We can rejoice because we can give it to Him. He loves us and wants us to hand it over to Him because He wants to take care of it for us.
Rejoice Always – If you have ever been in the middle of unbearable circumstances, then you know how hard it is to rejoice always when the walls are falling down around you. And yet, this is what we are called to do. Even when it is hard, we are to rejoice. What can we rejoice about when difficult circumstances surround us? We can rejoice because we can give it to Him. He loves us and wants us to hand it over to Him because He wants to take care of it for us.
Pray Without Ceasing – God loves it when we
talk to Him. We are His children and He
wants us to be in a state of communication with Him always. It is easy to pray when something happens,
but the temptation is also there to reach for a quick fix to our problems. Praying usually requires waiting and
trusting. We want to fix things fast. God is the perfect answer to all our needs
and we always have instant access to Him.
Keep your connection to Him open and talk to Him about everything as you
go through your day. And when you are
having to wait for an answer, keep praying.
Give Thanks in All Circumstances - Even when the walls
are falling down around you there are still things that you can be thankful
for. Gratitude causes us to focus on the
One who has given and His provisions for our good. Gratitude rebalances the scale of our
circumstances when we are in troubled times. Satan loves to see us forget God’s past
blessings and care in a time of trouble.
No one ever wants to say “Thank you” for hard
times. But the verse does not say “Give thanks
for all circumstances.” It
says to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Still hard, but it changes everything. God is
in all the circumstances of our lives – good and bad. This does not mean that He
causes all the hard things to happen to us, but it means He is there. Look for Him.
Seek Him and His peace and wisdom.
Ask what you are supposed to be learning and doing. All the circumstances of our lives happen for
a reason. It may not be directed at us,
but we are serving a purpose there.
To help keep an attitude of giving thanks in
all circumstances:
- Find something to
be thankful for every day.
- Discipline your mind
to focus on what you are thankful for in difficult situations.
- Find and meditate
on thankfulness in scripture.
- Don’t let an
ungrateful attitude take over – stop it immediately when it pops in your
head.
- Encourage and show gratitude
to others around you.
When our mind is jumbled and our emotions
stirred, these three simple things (not always simple to do) are easy to
remember. Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks.
The last part of the verse helps us to see just how important this is. Paul says it is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you… If we are sad, angry, hurt, discouraged,
hopeless, it is His will that we rejoice, pray, and give thanks. We can trust Him with everything if we obey and
follow His will for our lives and obey.
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
