#36 “Step 5: Give God Thanks”

 

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 I Thessalonians 5:16-18

New International Version (NIV)

 

Welcome back! As you remember our last lesson was on confessing our sins in God’s presence. This week we start with Step #5 - Giving God Thanks.  I remember having once got into a discussion with a dear brother regarding I Thessalonians 5:16-18. He felt that this scripture was not intended to be taken literally, but rather figuratively. His position was this, “no one who is truly suffering and in pain can continually give God thanks. It would be humanly impossible to do so.”  I understood what he was trying to say but it did not change the fact that it was simply not true, regardless of how hard it may be it’s not impossible.  
 
The word of God tells us to, “My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.”(James 1:2)  Why would the Lord tell us to rejoice during our trials and tribulations?  Matthew 5:12 tells us, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” And James 1:12 further tells us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” How could we forget Job? I know, you’re think right about now, “why do they always bring up Job?”  Well for one reason and one reason only… his sufferings were great and painful, yet he still praised God.  But didn’t he complain at some point? Yes, but he rather than curse God he wish that he had not been born.  We have remember we are still in these bodies of flesh and blood and subject to frailties of our human nature.  Job had lost everything and by everything I do mean EVERYTHING! It would even seem that his wife may have left him as well. She said to Job, “Why don’t you just curse God and die?” What was Job’s reply? “Woman you sound like a foolish woman, the Lord gives and The Lord takes away.” We can only ask the Lord to help it be our reply as well. Regardless of what we must endure help us to always remember that there's a greater reward awaiting us over on the other side of our sufferings.
 
Earlier this year I lost my job, this wasn’t just any job I love working for this company and was working on my second term working for them. I had started there as a part-time receptionist and by the time my hire date had rolled again there was a better position available. I prayed about it and decided to talk with my supervisor about the position. She did everything within her power to try and discourage me from applying  the position.  She almost succeeded, however the Holy Spirit rose up within me and declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” I simply told her that if the position was mine then they would not be able to hire anyone else in that position. She of course looked at me strangely, no doubt thinking she was not going to give me the job. Needless to say, I got the position and worked for nine months before they let me go. I could not understand why the Lord would allow this to happen; after all hadn’t the Lord given me the position in the first place! But what did Job say, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” 
 
I wish that I could say that I responded immediately like Job did, but that wouldn’t be true. It took me a while, I spent some serious time talking with God, before I could finally say, God this situation is in Your hands. I know that nothing was ever a surprise to God, and when we walk closely with Him neither will it be to us. For you see that morning he Holy Spirit had already alerted me that, “Today is the day.” At first I did not understand what He was telling me but once I arrived at work, all the pieces began to fall into place. Beloved we may not rejoice right away when trial and tribulations come our way. But with everything within us we should begin to tell yourself what God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you!”  I began to ask God what my next assignment was, and how soon would it start. I continually had to remind myself that God is my “Jehovah Jireh,” my provider; because, I had no unemployment benefits coming and no other source of income.  Count it all joy – we must grow to the place where we can look at our situation as something to rejoice about!! Because, we know God is doing to do something big in and through us.  Too often we start to think that perhaps we’ve done something wrong and God is punishing us for it. But we should not consider trials as some kind of punishment or curse; or some sort of calamity.  Thank God that you are worthy of being tested.
 
My Prayer: Father as we enter into this 5^th phase of coming into Your presence in prayer, we say thank You for all that You have done. We ask you forgiveness for those times when we did not readily embrace our situations as a time of rejoicing. Father, help us to always realize that the trying of our faith or the testing of our faith produces patience.  Lord let patience have its perfect work in us, so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We realize that they only come to help develops perseverance in us.  Lord God thank You for being an ever loving Father, and teaching us the way we should go, in this life. In Jesus Name  we pray, Amen!

Have A Bless Day…Go in God’s Peace!

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