Still Giving Thanks
I Thessalonians 5:18 – In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Much is said about the giving of thanks during hard times. Many times we start with thanking God that things are not worse. This is good, but there is more also. Other times we get to the point where we can thank God anyway. We thank Him that somehow God will turn all things around for our good. But, I wonder if we can thank God for giving us the difficulty because that is the opportunity to grow and to praise Him in the hard things.
After a particularly difficult moment of loss, I was praying when I felt God turned my prayer into a statement “That not even this will rob my lips from praise.” Not even this! The Savior who gave all He had for me and suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually infinitely more than I could ever suffer, deserves my praise no matter what. Nothing I encounter on this earth should ever be able to rob my lips of His praise.
Even situations that appear to have been directed or designed by the enemy of our soul, don’t have to rob our lips of praise. These things will be turned around by the All Powerful God so that the vilest of challenges work the opposite of the intent of the devil and the situation works for our good.