“In every circumstance of life be thankful; for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus respecting you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 WNT).
No matter the situations and circumstances you face in life, the Lord wants you to have an attitude of thankfulness always. In all things, He wants you to learn to give thanks. This is the mentality of a victor—the one who knows everything is working together for his good as the Scripture has said (Romans 8:28).
Now, be careful not to misunderstand what the Word says, it doesn’t say you should give thanks “for” all things, but rather “in” all things. Some folks attribute everything they experience, whether good or bad to God, whereas only good things come from Him (James 1:17).
Cultivating an attitude of thankfulness is vital for every child of God who wants to experience the victorious life. The Apostle James said “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). He didn’t say, “Cry to God to save you out of divers temptations.” When Paul and Silas were locked up in prison, the Bible says “…Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25). Paul wrote the book of Romans, so I can imagine that one of the things He would have said was, “Lord, I praise you for all things are working together for our good!”
Of course, you know the rest of the story, as they rejoiced and praised the Lord in that situation, the Lord sent a powerful earthquake to shake up the whole prison and they were set free by the angel of the Lord (Acts 16:25-26). The Bible says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:35-37). That means there’s nothing in this life that can successfully stand against you.
Everything that exists, both living and non-living are working together to ensure you have the victory. This is why you should always lift your hands and say, “Lord, I give thanks for all things are working together for my good!” This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Prayer
Dear Lord, I give you thanks for your presence in my life. I give you thanks for your mighty hand of blessing that rests upon me. In every situation and circumstance of life, my heart will continually give you thanks and praise for I know you’ve ordained all things to work together for my benefit. I can never be defeated or disadvantaged in this life. Hallelujah.
Further Study
Psalm 107:1: “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever”
Colossians 3:17: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”
(Taken by permission from Christ Embassy Church , aka Believer’s LoveWorld Ministries , Lagos, Nigeria. www.ChristEmbassy.org )
