Daily Devotional

In this verse God tells us to ‘give thanks’. But there are two words that precede this command
that have always bothered me, and they are ‘in everything’. Is it really possible to give thanks in
everything? I mean, life is hard.

Then the verse goes on to say “...for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” If you are a
Christian, that means you are ‘in Christ Jesus’, which means your hope is found in Him. The
difficult times will come, but even while we go through those times, we can be thankful. Why?
Because we know God is in control and working all things for our good (Romans 8:28).

If it’s God’s will for you to be thankful, then you need to make thanks a regular part of each day,
thanking Him for the basic necessities of life; for a roof over your head, for a bed to sleep in, for
a car to drive, for safety on the roads, etc. Thanking God for His blessings each day can have a
positive impact on your attitudes and general outlook on life.

And what we refer to as ‘difficult times’ are relative. You might be upset that someone hit your
car while it was parked in the parking lot at Smart and Final. And the subsequent challenges of
dealing with insurance, and body work places, to get your car fixed might be seen as a ‘difficult
time’. But what about someone who can’t even afford a car? Did you know that compared to
many places in the world, you are incredibly blessed? If you have food in your fridge, you are
better off than many people in America today. According to Move for Hunger, over 38 million
Americans face hunger each day, including 1 in 6 children. If your stomach starts rumbling, what do you do? Go to your fridge and get something to eat. Are you thankful for that food? Or do you take it for granted? I think most of us take it for granted.

Thankfulness draws us to God. To be a thankful person means you are humble, and you are not
approaching life with a sense of entitlement, like everyone around you exists for your benefit.
And as you live a life of thankfulness, knowing God is the source of all you have, you are drawn
closer to Him.

To give thanks in everything does not mean we approach difficulties in life by pasting on a fake
smile and saying “Thank-you”. Giving thanks IN everything is different than giving thanks FOR
everything. When my best friend got cancer, I didn’t thank God for that. When my sister became
an alcoholic, I didn’t thank God for that. But I’ve learned that in those situations, it is possible to
give thanks to God because I know He’s in control. I turned my friend with cancer over to God,
and God healed him. I turned my sister over to God and she recommitted her life to Christ and
went to AA, now she’s a regular church-goer and over 7 years sober. Thank the Lord.

But just because you give thanks to God in everything, knowing He’s in control, doesn’t mean
everything is going to turn out the way you want. My brother left his wife, and now he’s seeking
a divorce. My daughter left our house five years ago and we haven’t talked to her since. These
situations are difficult, but I know God is in control. I can have an attitude of thanksgiving in
Christ, because He’s got it. I trust Him.

During this month of Thanksgiving, let’s find ways to make thankfulness a part of each day,
realizing that all we have comes from the Lord. He is good and He takes care of His children

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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