Thankful in All Things by Evangelist =
Billy Graham
Are you thankful no matter what? Perhaps you have lost =
your job recently, as the economy has continued to struggle. Or you may =
have lost your health, or a loved one. Such circumstances can be =
tremendously difficult. But even so, we all have much to be thankful =
for. Look with me at the story of a man who had every right to be =
bitter—but wasn’t.
The=
next footsteps in the corridor, he knew, might be those of the guards =
taking him away to his execution. His only bed was the hard, cold stone =
floor of the dank, cramped prison cell. Not an hour passed when he was =
free from the constant irritation of the chains and the pain of the iron =
manacles cutting into his wrists and legs.
Sep=
arated from friends, unjustly accused, brutally treated—if ever a =
person had a right to complain, it was this man, languishing almost =
forgotten in a harsh Roman prison. But instead of complaints, his lips =
rang with words of praise and thanksgiving!
The=
man was the Apostle Paul—a man who had learned the meaning of =
true thanksgiving, even in the midst of great adversity. Earlier, when =
he had been imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote, “Sing and make =
music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father =
for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” =
(Ephesians 5:19-20).
Thi=
nk of always giving thanks for everything, no matter the circumstances. =
Thanksgiving for the Apostle Paul was not a once-a-year celebration, but =
a daily reality that changed his life and made him a joyful person in =
every situation. Thanksgiving—the giving of thanks—to God =
for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of a =
believe in Jesus Christ.
Thank God for the Material Blessings That He Gives =
You
We =
seem never to be satisfied with what we have—rich or poor, =
healthy, or sick. But what a difference it makes when we realize that =
everything we have has been given to us by God! King David prayed, =
“Wealth and honor come from you … We give you thanks and =
praise your glorious name … Everything comes from you” =
(1 Chronicles 29:12-14).
Thank God for the People in Your =
Life
It =
is so easy to take people for granted, or even to complain and become =
angry because they do not meet our every wish. But we need to give =
thanks for those around us—our spouses, our children, our =
relatives, our friends, and others who help us in some way. The =
Christians in Corinth were far from perfect, but Paul began his first =
letter to them by saying, “I always thank God for =
you” (1 Corinthians 1:4).
Thank God in the Midst of Trials and Even =
Persecution
We =
draw back from difficulties, yet not one of us is exempt from some kind =
of trouble. In many parts of the world it is dangerous even to be a =
Christian because of persecution. And yet in the midst of those trials =
we can thank God because we know that He has promised to be with us and =
that He will help us. We know that He can use times of suffering to draw =
us closer to Himself: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, =
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the =
testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James =
1:2-3).
Thank God Especially for His Salvation in Jesus =
Christ
God=
has given us the greatest Gift of all—His Son, who died on the =
cross and rose again so that we can know Him personally and spend =
eternity with Him in heaven: “Thanks be to God for his =
indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). How long has it =
been since you thanked God for your salvation? We should not let a day =
go by without thanking God for His mercy and His grace to us in Jesus =
Christ.
Thank God for His Continued Presence and Power in =
Your Life
Whe=
n we come to Christ, it is not the end but the beginning of a whole new =
life! He is with us, and He wants to help us follow Him and His Word. In =
ourselves we do not have the strength that we need to live the way God =
wants us to live. But when we turn to Him, we discover that “it =
is God who works in [us] to will and to act according to his good =
purpose” (Philippians 2:13).
In =
many countries a special day is set aside each year for thanksgiving. =
But for the Christian every day can be a day of thanksgiving, as we are =
“always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the =
name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians =
5:20).
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"