Be Thankful in All Things
With the pandemic threatening to worsen over the winter, this Thanksgiving holiday will be much different than ever before.
Families, especially those with elderly members, must be very careful about gathering around the dinner table. To stay safe from the virus, many will choose to scale back or even skip the traditional visit over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house.
But all these challenges won’t cancel Thanksgiving – and it certainly should not stop us from giving thanks this holiday season.
I hope you will take a moment to look past your troubles, whatever they may be, and give thanks in all things – which is our message today from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Greg Syfan,
President, Syfan Logistics
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Thankful in All Things
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Our Daily Bread
My daughter is allergic to peanuts. Her sensitivity is so acute that eating even the tiniest fragment of a peanut threatens her life. As a result, we scrutinize food package labels. We carry a pre-filled syringe of medicine (to treat allergic reactions) wherever we go. And, when we eat out, we call ahead and quiz the wait staff about the restaurant’s menu items.
Despite these precautions, I still feel concerned – both for her current safety and for her future safety. This situation is not something I would naturally be thankful about. Yet, God’s Word challenges us in
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (see below).
There’s no getting around it. God wants us to pray with thanksgiving when the future is uncertain, when heartbreak hits, and when shortfalls come.
It’s hard to be grateful in difficulties, but it’s not impossible. Daniel “prayed and gave thanks” (Daniel 6:10), knowing that his life was in danger. Jonah called out “with the voice of thanksgiving” (Jonah 2:9) while inside a fish!
These examples, coupled with God’s promise that He will work all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28), can inspire us to be thankful in all things.