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Give Thanks Always Give Thanks Always

Give Thanks Always

As we marvel at the incredible gifts God has given to us, what should be our response? Paul has three excellent suggestions: rejoice, pray, and give.

The day of the Lord is drawing near! In this life, we cannot expect that life will always be tilted in our favor. God’s people will face difficulty, trials, and persecution. Suffering is a reality. But because of who we are in God and what we have been so freely given, we do not have the same perspective as the rest of the world. “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (v. 10). Our lives are transformed, not just for eternity but now.

Verse 16 offers three ways to live each day mindful of our new life in Christ. First, we are to rejoice always. We are to be people who find joy despite and through all of life’s circumstances. This joy is not merely being happy or living life blindly, but finding contentment and hope in God Himself.

Second, we are to pray continually. We are to remain connected to God through prayer. How can you possibly pray like that? We give each and every situation over to God. Praying continually is an ongoing conversation with God. We give each worry and concern to Him.

Finally, we are to be people marked by thankfulness. We are to count on our blessings, recognize the gifts we have been given, and be ready to praise. Paul suggests that as we live in the will of God, we are thankful for His care and guidance of each moment of our life. Whether or not the circumstance seems to our liking, we are thankful that He is in control and that He will see us through.

Pray with Us

Please add Moody’s sponsorship and underwriting team to your prayers today, thanking God for the service of Bryon Poirier, Charles Sheldon, and Jamin Baxter. May they experience the goodness of God both in their work and personal lives.

BY Jamie Janosz

Jamie Janosz serves as a content development manager for Moody Bible Institute. She writes monthly devotionals for Today in the Word and has published non-fiction essays with Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics blog. Recently Jamie wrote a book titled When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up (Moody Publishers). Jamie studied theology and writing at Moody Bible Institute, Columbia College, and Illinois State University. She lives on the Atlantic coast of Florida with her husband, Milt, and daughter, Sabrina.

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