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“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
By: Rev. Joostens

The hymn-writer admonishes us to .....Count your blessings, name them one by one..... This is good advise and we ought to take this to heart more often than we do! It is the will of God concerning us that He receive the glory as He supplies our every need. We are not likely to forget this on special occasions such as Thanksgiving Day. But, I fear that we are sometimes rather selective in what we determine to be blessings!

In his closing remarks to the congregation at Thessalonica, Paul guides us in making this determination.  Boldly, he admonishes ....in all things give thanks! That sets us back on our heels - so to speak.  We have to give that a second thought.  Thankful in prosperity - that fits us quite nicely.  We might even be able to exercise some patience in adversity while the Lord makes things come around our way. But, to be thankful in everything, that’s another matter. Did we read that right or is there something in the context of this passage that allows us to makes some specification?  Read it again, dear friend, and see the boldness of the admonition!  In all things give thanks!

But how can that be, we ask. I see a son in Iraq! I behold a young widow clutching her children at the grave!  I view a family plunged into difficult straights because a job was lost!  I hear the cry of a saint in persecution’s dreadfully wicked grasp!  Thanksgiving to God?  Oh, yes, give thanks to God in all circumstances of life.  For, not only is the giving of thanks God’s will for us in Christ Jesus, but every and all circumstances of life are according to His will and good pleasure given to us in Christ!  Sometimes He leads us through a valley so deep that we may learn to look to Him to scale the mountain too steep!  Often He churns the sea of life to make us seek quiet by His side!  He lays us on a bed a affliction that we may look up!  He puts us in the cemetery surrounded by death that we may see the Resurrection and the Life!  As a poet has aptly put it.  “...God never plows in the soul of man with out intention and purpose and plan.”

In the sanctuary, God gave Asaph to see, that he was being led by God’s wise counsel and plan which would bring him to glory (Ps. 73:24). Paul could rise above the complaint of Jacob and rejoice that all things work together for good to those who love God (Rom. 8:23).  The former drew near to God and trustingly declared all His wonderful works! Paul rejoices that nothing shall separate him for the love of God in Christ!  Let us always, in everything, give thanksgiving to God for that is His will concerning us who have been redeemed in Christ and will by His fatherly hand safely be led to glory!