1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thinks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Today is November 22nd — the date that we officially celebrate Thanksgiving Day here in the United States this year. Canada celebrated its Thanksgiving Day on October 8th. Many other nations also have designated days to give thanks.
It is easy to fall into the trap of being thankful only for the material things of life . . . food, clothing, house, job, bank account . . . you get the picture. We certainly should be thankful for these things, but there are other reasons to be eternally thankful. Being thankful is not, or at least it should not be, a once-a-year thing. As members of God’s family we are to be thankful at all times. It is not our prerogative to choose when we will be thankful and what we will be thankful for.
Paul’s second admonition is that we are to: Pray continually. Here is another embarrassing question: How is your prayer life? Are you continually speaking to the Lord in prayer? It is a discipline that we need to pursue.
The last admonition is in line with today’s topic. Here is what the Lord expects of us: Give thanks in all circumstances. Chew on that while you are munching on your sumptuous dinner. What if you had little or nothing to eat? Would you still give thanks? That is exactly the Lord’s will in any and every circumstance. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil