Thanksgiving
“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
These 3 verses are some of my favorites. I had my sister make me a shirt with the word “Always” in big letters on the front, with the words “rejoice,” “pray,” and “give thanks” underneath in smaller letters, so that it could be read as “always rejoice, always pray, and always give thanks.” I wanted that reminder for myself in the form of a shirt that I could wear and see all the time.
If we break these verses down, this is what we get: how often should we rejoice? Always. How often should we pray? Continually. Always. How often should we give thanks? In all circumstances. Always. This is our calling. This is the will of God our Father.
Why should we give thanks to God in all circumstances? Consider the following verses:
- Psalm 65:5;10 says, “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you… For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God.”
- In Ephesians 3:20-21 we read “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Those verses in Ephesians were the memory verses for Junior Camp in 2019, and they still remind me of that sweet session to this day. From these passages we learn that God is forgiving, good, performs marvelous deeds, is able to do more than we can ask or imagine, and deserves all glory.
God is sovereign. He made you. To the campers and children reading, He chose your parents and designed you to be just who you are. To the parents out there, He gave you the children you have, to lead, guide and raise in the truth.
Let’s show our love and appreciation to God for how great and mighty He is, and let’s turn to Him rather than run away from Him when difficult times come. We can do this because we already have the victory in Christ and nothing can separate us from that. Nothing can take us from His love. What a beautiful gift to be thankful for!