Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Happy Thanksgiving!
«In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. » 1Thess. 5.18
Apostle Paul is exhorting us to be thankful in everything. Is that possible? Is it possible to be thankful during the times of war, destruction, chaos, absence of stability, the degradation of moral values, and much more? As we look at the world we live in, it seems impossible to find a reason to be thankful. However, for Christians who are at the focus point of the will of God, it is possible to affirm the command of Apostle Paul and “Give thanks in everything!”
The first pilgrims who received enough food for survival in “the new” to them land, gave thanks to God for that! He is exhorting us to be thankful to Him for “the insignificant” aspects of our lives.
As we wake up in the morning, open our eyes to see the light of a new day, we already have a good reason to be thankful! If we have our daily bread on the table and the roof over our heads, we have another reason to be thankful! If we have our personal Bible as the spiritual bread needed for spiritual nourishment, that is another reason to be thankful! We can find so many more reasons to be thankful!
A Christian is thankful to God for everything, He holds all things in His hand! He is the source of all good things.
We ask ourselves questions about why is there so much evil in the world, so much sin, blood, tears, and human suffering? The first man made a choice to disobey God, and because of that, sin entered into the world. As a result, sin, tears, pain, blood, sweat, and death became an everyday reality. Today, some of us are experiencing difficult times of life, are in desperation, pain, and at a dead end… Job was also in those circumstances. He lost everything that he had, including his health. However, despite the most difficult times of his life, he said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” Job 1:21. Job did not doubt the goodness of God!
While being in prison, Joseph did not know why God allowed such trials in his life, but in time, he realized that God had a plan of saving not only his family, but also his people from famine.
God allows certain circumstances in our lives in order to achieve a good end result. We don’t always receive answers to our questions right away. We may ask God, “Why?” as the Apostle Paul did while encountering various trials in his life, yet he was able to say, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”. Rom. 8:28
God allowed us to live in such a prosperous country and to have peace, and that is His mercy to us. The pilgrims thanked God for the food, but today, we have so much more to be thankful for! May our Thanksgiving Day prayer be specific in mentioning the list of His blessings, and appreciate His mercy, provision, and care. At that point, Apostle Paul’s exhortation to thanksgiving will be tangible, and relevant to each one of us on a personal level!
Give thanks in everything!
President of the PCSBA, Ivan Mileyev
