Giving Thanks In All Circumstances
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
This month we celebrate Thanksgiving. Some people use social media to post 100 days of thankfulness. Some keep a journal year-round, daily writing things for which you are thankful.
During the Covid-19 shutdown, we encouraged you to take a moment each day and keep a thankfulness journal, writing one thing (or more), for which you are thankful, even if you didn’t feel like it or were feeling so down that it was hard to come up with even one thing. It’s amazing what God will do when we simply acknowledge His presence in our lives, even for the simple things.
“Today, I’m thankful for toilet paper!”
Friends, gratitude precedes the blessing! God is pouring out His abundant blessings on us but sometimes we just miss it because of our circumstances. Please hear me…I am in no way diminishing what you have gone through or are going through right now. Pain and suffering, heartbreak, grief, (insert your own here) are all real and your feelings are valid and seen by God. He loves you and cares about you!!
But what if, in the midst of all of that you took just a second to focus in on the cross and what it represents. Or what if the thing you have been asking God for, that one prayer you’ve been praying that you are still waiting on the answer, what if you thanked God in advance for the answer, regardless of the outcome or if it isn’t what you want? What would that look like?
As of late, I have been taking inventory of God’s goodness in my life so far this year. As many of us do, on Thanksgiving day we go around the table and give God thanks for at least one thing. However, this year, I’m going to need more time! I have seen the evidence of God working through people, circumstances, prayers answered and those yet to be answered. I know He is still working and I will trust that His will is perfect, whatever the outcome. God is so, so good and I will praise Him in the “even if”. I am truly thankful.
In 1 Chronicles 16 we find a prayer that David wrote after he finally brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. This is before the temple was built. In fact, God had just told David that he would not be the king to rebuild the temple. That must have been a great disappointment to David. Still, David brought the Ark to Jerusalem and built a tent specially made to keep it sacred and set apart. He put people in charge of keeping watch. He appointed Levites as high priests to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices in this most holy place. Then he ordered the Levite priests to daily play music and say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving which David himself wrote.
This is David’s prayer of praise:
8 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
13 you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15 He remembers[c] his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
19 When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
20 they[d] wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
21 He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
22 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[e] holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33 Let the trees of the forest sing,
let them sing for joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.”
36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”
1 Chronicles 16:8-36
I encourage you to read this prayer and make it your own prayer of praise and thanksgiving this month. Just read one or two verses per day. Then thank God for one thing in your life and watch Him reveal to you blessing upon blessing.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Heather Hanton
Media and Ministries Specialist
The Salvation Army Central Territory
Women’s Ministries Department
