Thanksgiving - Pt. 5

 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 ESV).

 

I am not unaware that today is Halloween. It might be a bit unexpected that I have used that theme for today’s devotional. I have in the past. You are certainly welcome to go to the website (www.gracerestoration.org) to search the archives for one of those if you’d like. Today I’m still in the mindset of our need to give thanks. If 2020 has reminded me of anything it is the ease with which I am able to give thanks in good circumstances and the difficulty to do the same in challenging circumstances. This year has forced me to call upon every ounce of patience I possess. I’m fairly certain you could say the same. And, yet, the Apostle Paul reminds us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (v. 18).

 

The Heidelberg Catechism says that belief in the providence of God makes it possible for us to be "thankful when things go well" and "patient when things go against us" (cf. Question/Answer #28). So sometimes we are thankful, and sometimes we are patient. That’s not really what Paul is saying. He says it is God's will for us to be thankful "in all circumstances."

 

Really? Well, it may help to note that Paul is not saying we should be thankful for all circumstances but in them. When things seem to go against us, I think God expects us to be grateful that his hand holds us and helps us to endure under the strain. That's a big challenge. Looking for reasons to be thankful when the going is tough. Sometimes it can be equally difficult for us to be thankful when things are going well. We might not think it would be that way. After all, when things go well, we have so much to be grateful for. But the very nature of human beings, even if we are Christian, is to overlook the crowd of God's good gifts to us every day. Let me suggest that today you sit still where you are and exercise the gift of noticing. Notice what you see, what you have, and who is with you. Notice the color, beauty, and variety around you. Keep noticing, and make a list of the gifts you notice. Then give thanks to God, the great giver!