Give Thanks in All Things - Devotional

Read This:

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Watch This:

Think:

In our lives, we all have to endure tough times. It’s just the way life works. The Bible even talks about it in James when we are told to consider it pure joy when we endure trials. Not if, but when.

It’s so easy to be bowled over when tough times come. It’s easy to focus on the negative. So how do you maintain a heart of thankfulness?

1. Keep perspective

That’s so much easier said than done, but, when times get hard, God urges us to cling to Him and His word. Why? Because both things help us endure through strength and hope. People and things may be temporary, but God, and His love for us, are eternal.

2. Remember hope

Jesus is the ultimate symbol of hope because He was the steward responsible for giving us hope from what He did on the Cross. No matter what you are going through, we can find hope in Him through the sacrifice He made for us But not only that, we can find hope for the strength to endure whatever we are facing.

3. See the big picture

There is always a big picture with God. One singular situation is never the whole story. What you are forced to endure now will impact who you will become later (and how you view God and the world).

Ask:

What’s a situation you’ve faced where it was difficult for you to be thankful about anything? How did you respond?

Pray:

God, I pray for Your strength and wisdom when I encounter trials, and I pray for Your hand to be on my heart to not grow bitter and self-pitying, but to be hopeful and observant of all the ways You protect me. Lord, help me to keep perspective, keep hope, and remember that You are the great I AM who watches over me ceaselessly.