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Give Thanks in All Circumstances

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Praying and giving thanks when life is easy and full of blessings is a no-brainer, way easier than when we're facing tough times.

Yet, let me tell you something, straight from the words of the Apostle Paul in his parting message to the Thessalonian church: Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks should be a lifestyle, an unstoppable flow. I'm not talking about just when things are going your way or when you're feeling on top of the world.

Rejoice all the time. Stay prayerful. Gratefully acknowledge God in every situation. Consistently. No matter what circumstances or mood you find yourself in.

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking, "How in the world can I give thanks when everything seems to be falling apart? What's there to be grateful for?"

Let me share a couple of stories with you.

First up, we have the Israelites during that time at Massah and Meribah, documented in Exodus 17:1-7. Picture this: they've just been miraculously delivered from Egypt, witnessing the powerful demise of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea, walking on dry land amidst the walls of water. Then God led them to Elim, where there were not one, not two, but twelve fresh springs and seventy palm trees! And as if that wasn't enough, God provided them with bread from heaven, manna. Now, that's some extraordinary divine intervention, right?

But hold up, what did they do? Their response was full of complaints, regret, and negativity! "Man, if only we were back in Egypt... Thanks a lot, Moses! Why did you drag us out here to die?" and so on...

And their outlook for the future? Bleak. "So, Moses, you want us to perish in this wilderness? Is God even with us? Can He actually help us?" And there it is, my friends, they put God to the test with their doubts, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?", as the Bible recorded it painfully.

Okay, now for the second story. The Israelites were being oppressed by the Philistines, and they cried out to the Lord for help. Samuel stepped up and led the charge against the Philistines. God answered their prayers and crushed the Philistines! The Israelites were victorious and even chased them all the way to Beth Kar. It's an epic win, and Samuel decided to mark the momentous occasion by setting up a stone as a thanksgiving memorial. He called it Ebenezer, declaring, "Thus far the Lord has helped us.” There it is, beautifully recorded in the Bible.

And don't miss this, God doesn't stop there! The Bible records that throughout Samuel's entire life, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines, in other words, God had their back all along!

One more thing about giving thanks. Let's rewind to that incredible moment when Jesus fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish! How did it all start? Jesus took the loaves, said a prayer of thanksgiving, and then began distributing the food to everyone who was seated there. And check this out, there were even leftovers!

After that event, the Gospel of John spills some more tea on this. It says, "Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks" (John 6:23). Notice that the verse doesn't emphasize the event of the miraculous multiplication of the five loaves and two fish; it emphasizes the act of Jesus giving thanks.

Now, let's be real here. It's not always easy to give thanks when life throws curveballs at us. But this is where our faith has an opportunity to step up and express our love to God. Even in the darkest of days and the most challenging of circumstances, remember this: God's got you! His arms are wrapped around you. So, go ahead and give thanks for that. And not just that, look back and remember His past faithfulness. And above all, let your heart overflow with gratitude because Jesus went all in for you, giving His life to save yours. With Samuel-like conviction, engrave this truth in your heart, "The Lord has died for me on the cross, He's helped me and rescued me, and He'll do it again."

Your attitude of gratitude reaches the heart of God, He's not gonna ignore that. He rejoices and celebrates your gratefulness! And guess what? In due time, you'll look back at those rough patches and realize how God was carrying you through every single one of them. And you'll see that the five loaves and two fish you gave thanks for shall be supernaturally multiplied by the Almighty Himself.