Integrity- People of God

Ephesians 5:20           Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… KJV

We are told to give thanks always! That doesn’t mean when we feel like it or when things are going well with us or when we get what we want. We are to give thanks in every situation under every circumstance. This is crazy, irrational, stupid, ridiculous most would say. How can we give thanks when we are sick with a life threatening illness, a loved one has died, we lose our job, or are unable to provide for ourselves and our families? How can we give thanks in these hard situations? That really is the whole purpose or fact of the matter! We cannot in our own strength give thanks in these hard, hopeless situations of life unless we have hope for a better future.

 Jeremiah 29:11-12     For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

When our eyes are focused on the circumstances around us it is hard to see anything different or visualize anything beyond what we see. What God is telling us in this statement is that we give thanks in faith in knowing God’s plan for us and that we have hope for a future past this current situation. Satan would always have us focus on the horrible, dreadful things we are going through and then steal all the hope we may have for surviving these circumstances and problems.

When we understand the fight we are better able to win the battle. Satan wants us to stay hopeless and God tells us to have faith in Him. Once again, we have a choice to make as to what we will believe and what we will act on. As a natural response, we may choose to stay hurt and anger. Or by faith, we can choose to believe God. We can ask Him to give us the faith we need and that He will bring us through this situation. We can trust it will work out in the end for our good and His glory.

 2 Corinthians 4: 15-18         All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

God is forever showing us His Glory, Love and Mercy. It is in all that He has made. He has shown us such a great love that He sent His only Son to die that we might have life. Even at such a great cost, God will not force His will on us. He has set before us life and death, blessing and cursing. He asks us to choose life that we and our seed will be blessed. This is an awesome reason to give thanks to God. No matter what we have gone through, are going through or may go through in the future, nothing can compare to the gift of God’s everlasting life and to be with Our Father eternally.

Hebrews 12:28            Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

“It is not because things are good that we are to thank the LORD, but because He is good.”

Hannah Whitall Smith