I Thessalonians 5: 16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  This is Thanksgiving week which should remind us to give thanks to God for everything both good and difficult.  The very first thing that we should always give Him thanks is for his Son, Jesus Christ who gave his life for us on the cross.  We should follow this with family, health, church, spiritual blessings, job, home and the many other things He gives us each day.  We are not to take these things for granted, but often do and fail to thank God for them.  He wants to hear our praise and thanksgiving just as we like to hear thanks given to us personally for something we give to others.  These things are easy for us to give him thanks.  But, we are often like my younger brother when he was 5 years old.  My grandmother gave him a cookie and he did not express thanks immediately.  My mother wanted him to thank her and told him, “What do you tell her?”  His reply was, “I want two.” Do we often respond like this and want more rather than being thankful for what God has given us?

It is easy to thank God for the good, but we are told in our Scripture today that we are to give him thanks in all circumstances.  When things are going bad for us and we face personal, family, job, material or health issues, it is not so easy to thank him.  I have found over the years that I am to thank him for what I am facing, good or bad.  It is hard when things are not going well to thank him for the difficult times.  There are times when bad things happen to good people and us.  James Dobson made a statement that has meant so much to me during difficult times.  He said, “We need to determine in advance that we will continue to thank and trust God even when He doesn’t seem to make sense to us.”  We can be honest with God and tell him that we don’t like it or even understand it, but we thank him and will continue to trust him.  That is what He wants to hear and remember that the “storm won’t last forever and the boat won’t sink when we ask him to ride with us.”  When we get to heaven, we will know the “rest of the story.”  Be thankful this Thanksgiving and give him thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.