God teaches us, in His Word, to be thankful for everything and rejoice at all times. How should we understand this and is it possible at all? As a matter of fact, He doesn’t urge us to give thanks for evil and sins, and for their awful consequences. He doesn’t encourage us to rejoice in pain. The Bible says: “Rejoice always in the Lord” (Phil. 4:4). I believe this is about life circumstances we, as children of God, find ourselves in. God is our loving Father and by His will He allows certain things to happen in our lives for our own good or for the fulfilling His plans.
Gratefulness comes as a result of trust, humble agreement and acceptance. A righteous man, Job from the Old Testament, objected to his wife: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
Displeasure, grumbling, ungratefulness are opposite of gratefulness. Unfortunately, it is ungratefulness that characterizes humanity of the last days. Apostle Paul said the following in 3d chapter of 2nd Timothy: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…”
In this list, an unthankful man stands next to an unholy one. It is impossible to be holy and unthankful at the same time.
As we approach the Thanksgiving Day, I encourage the readers to remember all the good things God blessed us with last year. Also, give thanks to Him from the bottom of our hearts for hardships we had to endure for such is the will of God for us in Jesus Christ.
Be blessed.
Pastor Yuri Georgiev