There is a place where we can get to in our faith where we realize the Lord has us safely secured in His hands. It doesn’t mean we will not have trials, for here on earth, we most assuredly will. But when we are securely held in the hands of God, we will remain thankful for all He is doing.
Thankfulness is a choice. “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT).
Even the pagans can be thankful in the good times. But it takes a man or woman being in a special place with the Lord to remain thankful in the hard times. Sometimes, it will be in the hardest of times when we will first discover the extent of His blessed presence in our lives.
Pain can make you bitter or sweet, and the choice is up to you. “I am mistreated and in pain. Protect me, God, and keep me safe! I will praise the Lord God with a song and a thankful heart” (Psalm 69:29-30 CEV).
We are not called to be thankful that we are suffering a trial but to be thankful for knowing that the Lord is with us during the trial. It doesn’t mean He will deliver us from the trial, but we can most assuredly know that He will deliver us through the trial.
Don’t make prayer your last option. “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart” (Colossians 4:2 NLT).
Your ability to remain thankful during your trials will carry you through the trials with hope and trust in everything that lies ahead. It may be that things are going to get worse, but when you’re thankful, your confidence is in knowing the Lord will someday save you.
Don’t be bitter about the trials that God is using to make you better. “You will have to suffer only a little while; after that, God, who is full of grace, the one who called you to his eternal glory in union with the Messiah, will himself restore, establish and strengthen you and make you firm” (1 Peter 5:10 CJB).
Do not be deceived; your eventual death is God’s rescue plan to take you into heaven. You don’t have to fear what lies ahead when you have trust that the Lord is waiting for you in the future. You will absolutely be healed someday, whether here or in heaven.
Don’t worry about your future because God is already there. “You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands” (Psalm 16:5 GNT).
When you trust that God can save you from anything, you won’t be crushed by everything that is coming against you. Knowing God can do anything gives you faith to pray for everything and gives you hope that He will help you every step of the way.
Be as fervent in your thankfulness to God as you were in your request. “Give thanks to Yahweh. Call on his name. Make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him. Make music to praise him. Meditate on all the miracles he has done” (1 Chronicles 16:8-9 NOG).
Sometimes, the trial you are going through is a lesson for someone watching to see how a servant of God is supposed to act in the midst of a trial. Your greatest message to those who are suffering comes from how you are in the midst of your own suffering.
The value of your suffering is realized in the comfort you give. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV).
The level of your thankfulness in a trial reflects more accurately the level of trust that you have in the Lord. The more you can trust Him in the hardest of times, the more thankful you will be toward Him. The hard times reveal how soft our hearts really are.
It is not enough to know God; you must also be thankful to Him. “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21 NKJV).
It takes a great faith to believe that God can heal you from anything. It takes a greater faith to trust Him in His plan when He doesn’t heal you. Our trust in the Lord can go ever higher the less we understand what He is doing.
Even in the worst of times, God is still up to something good. “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” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).
With however you are suffering through a trial, I pray that the Lord would do His greatest work in you. We don’t always understand what He is doing, but we can always trust that His plan is better than our own. Pray for what you want, but be thankful along the way.
Living worry-free doesn’t mean your life is without problems; it is only that you’ve given them to God. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers” (Philippians 4:6 TLB).
Blessings to you always,
Paul Balius
I so appreciate your submission to and and skillful working of the Word. I am very thankful for the Word’s working with you for Himself, yourself, us and others.
To the Holy Trinity of Living Infinity be all the adulation through all the ages for privileging His people to preciously partner with His preeminence and potency, in granting us to be the superscendent story of His all-sufficient grace and glory! To Christ Jesus, Alleluias, the actualizing Amen of our Abba Almighty!
Thank You, O God! Thank you. Paul!
Thank you for your kind words. They always uplift me! Blessings to you always!
Thank you, brother Paul for another encouraging word. And Thank You Lord Jesus for You are all I have and give me all I need. I choose to let this trial I am going through make me sweet and not bitter for I know You will never let anything come my way that You will not be with me and see me through to victory. Even so, Come Lord Jesus!
I believe that the Lord arranges everything for us. Knowing this, we must accept that He has allowed difficult times in our life. Yet at the same time, He never forsakes us and will bring to us a word and a truth that will hold us together. Praying for you, may you experience the peace of Jesus in all things.