Giving Thanks To God Even For & In Pain - Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Saints,

This year was very challenging health-wise for my family. My son was hospitalized for an extended period, and I had major health issue. I am sure you have had some challenges, maybe in health, relationships, finances, etc. 

I heard a minister say you cannot honestly give thanks to God until you have had things that make you so sad that you would have to dig deep to still thank God. I believe that is in line with Scriptures such as:

“But be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20.

^“16 Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

So, can we give thanks “in everything” and “for all things”? Yes, we can. This is the Word of God, and it is for our obedience.  Notice the word “always.” We are to rejoice and give thanks always and not sometimes.

We should interact with the Word to bring clarity. Thanksgiving is a declaration of God’s sovereignty and His person and character of goodness. We thank our God, who is above all things and circumstances; and in perfect control. Thanksgiving is our expression of faith in God.

But giving thanks “for all things”? We cannot dismiss that in almost all translations from the original Greek, Ephesians 5:20 says, “for all things.” I believe it is in line with Romans 8:28:

^“28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

God takes the good, the bad, and the ugly to work out His purposes in our lives. In that regard, we thank God “for all things” and “in all things.”

Also, hear Job:

“⁹ Then his wife said to him [Job], “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”  Job 2:10.

Remember, God was at the beginning of Job’s troubles and allowed Satan to mess with Job. Yes, we give God thanks for all He allows in our lives. Our God can and does redeem all situations and circumstances. Yes, all good and perfect gifts come from God, and no evil comes from God. 

However, God does allow/permit things in our lives that may not be pleasant to train us in endurance. Everything that comes our way is “Father filtered.” He will never allow anything that will overwhelm us. He always makes a way out for us.

Satan's scheme has always been the same, lie and deceit. He lied to Adam and Eve that God did not love them. If He did, God would have allowed them to eat the forbidden fruit. Satan is still deceiving and trying to convince us that God is not good and does not have the best interest of us. When buy into Satan's lies because of hardships in our lives, we stop thanking and start blaming God.  Don't stop thanking God. He is so good to us.

On this basis, I thought deeply and asked what things am I thankful to God. Yes, I thank God for even the sicknesses God has allowed in our lives. We have survived and endured by His grace. I am thankful because even if the worst happened out of the illness, God is still with me. He has forgiven my sins and saved me because my trust is in Christ’s death and resurrection. 

In the end, I thank God for the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. During the hospitalizations, we had the opportunity as a family to share the Gospel with many. Telling people about the love of Christ gives me the greatest joy, so I thank God for my greatest joy.

Oh, Saints, let us always give our God thanks and praise now and forever for He is good and loves us unconditionally. Amen.

I thank God for you. I thank God for my family and the body of Christ.

In spite of the challenges of this year, what are you thankful to God for?

Let us read and meditate on Psalm 124 for this Thanksgiving:

 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,”

Let Israel now say—
² “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
³ Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us;
⁴ Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have gone over our soul;
⁵ Then the swollen waters
Would have gone over our soul.”

⁶ Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
⁷ Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

Happy Thanksgiving to You and your Family.