DEVOTION – DAY 376

Devotion, 4 Sept 2023

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Thessalonica to do three things that were the hallmarks of Christians. 1) Rejoice always 2) Pray continually 3) Give thanks in all circumstances.

It is easy to rejoice when everything is working well with us. But many people would find it hard to remain joyful when they face health issues, broken relationships, or when they are met with failure and hardship. The same is true about being thankful. Many people have no problem giving thanks to God for the good things in life, and the good times but how can they thank God for the bad things and times in their lives.

Yet, Paul says, be thankful in all circumstances – in good and bad times, thank God. It is possible to rejoice always and be thankful in all circumstances when we remember that we have the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. This means that even when we face storms in our lives, we know that we are not facing the storms alone – our Lord is with us. He will pull us through and that is why we can still rejoice and give thanks. That is why we must pray continually so that we are in a constant dialogue with our Lord. We can depend upon Him. He will direct us to a comforting verse in His Word, that will grant us peace when we are in trouble. This is God’s will for us as the above verses remind us.

A Pastor took advantage of a free medical checkup. He was shocked to be told that he needed urgent surgery for he had major blockages in his heart. He was thankful that he had no prior symptoms of his condition and that his heart problem was diagnosed just in time. Many people prayed for a successful heart bypass operation for him. He was thankful that the operation could be arranged quickly. He underwent the operation which was successful. He is now recovering at home and he remains joyful and thankful to the Lord for all that He has done.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we are thankful that you are always with us and will never leave us. It is a privilege to be able to rejoice always and be thankful in all circumstances. Please help us to focus on you and not on our circumstances. We humbly ask this in the great name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. How do you normally react and respond to tough situations in your life?
  2. How will react and respond differently to tough situations after you have understood the verses in this devotion? What changes will you make in the way you react and respond in the future?
  3. Why do you think you should be rejoicing always, pray continually and be thankful always? Share and Discuss.