As we come to the day set aside to give thanks, in this year that has been so strange from the very beginning, many people are asking themselves what on earth is there for which we should be giving thanks.
This is a hard question sometimes. Certainly this year. But, God tells us to give thanks. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica, and to us “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
So what does this mean? Are we supposed to be grateful that we are watching our loved ones suffer and die? Are supposed to be grateful that our kids are wondering each day if this will be their last in person day at school or will it be the last basketball game? Are we supposed to give thanks when we look around us and we feel like we are in an episode of the Twilight Zone, when all we see are masked faces all around us?
No. That is not what he means here. I think what Paul is saying, and ultimately God, is that we are to give thanks for the fact that even though our world is changing and our lives have changed, even this very holiday has changed, our God is never going to change. He will never change in any situation. In Psalm 33:11, David writes, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of His heart are for all generations.” It was true for David over 2,000 years ago. It is true for you and I today. The plans of the Lord are for all generations. In spite of what we see around us and all the unknowns.
We are to be thankful for the opportunities around us to serve Him. Sure life looks different now, but now is the time to change how we do God’s work to fit the situation. We don’t change God’s Word or His commands, but we can adjust our methods to fit the situation. We have opportunities to serve Him now like never before.
Clearly, we have hurting and grieving folks all around us. We have folks who have lost jobs. Folks who have not seen family in so many months. Find a way to reach out to those, and be thankful for that opportunity that would not have been yours without the changes in the world.
There is always something for which to be grateful. Find that grateful heart inside you and give thanks to our Lord and Savior, if for nothing else, then for the fact that He gave His only Son so that you could have the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven one day.
“Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ His Son.
“And now, let the weak say ‘I am strong.’ Let the poor say ‘I am rich.’ Because of what the Lord has done for us.
“Give thanks.’
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at TownTalk Radio.
