Two Little Words (Giving Thanks "In" and "For" Everything)

(Updated: June 18, 2014) "I thank You that you are able to do abundantly more than I could ask or imagination in my tribulation (Eph.3:20). I thank You that You are proving You will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb.13:5). I thank You in the middle of this problem that You have promised to supply all my needs" (Phil.4:19). Every living human being, if they live long enough, will have problems. Life is made up of problems, and God has the answer, because He is the answer to all of them, and He has a purpose for all of them. God has a purpose for what we consider the good things and the bad things that come into our lives. God has a purpose in every problem we may have and He will perfect each one that concerns us if we will trust Him (Ps.138:8a). Problems bring possibilities to us that would not have otherwise happened. Remember the saying, “If life hands you a bag of lemons, make some lemonade.” We can thank God for the sack of lemons we have been handed, otherwise He could never help us make lemonade from them. Lemonade is sweet and good and refreshing, but without the lemons we couldn’t enjoy the lemonade. It is so easy to be thankful while everything is bright and beautiful, but it really tests our willingness to sincerely be thankful when things are not bright and beautiful, actually they “stink.” When we have tried to do our best at living life with a “smile,” and then relationships get in the pits; our health is poor; our finances are strained and our dreams are crashing around our feet, then that “smile” gets to be rather artificial. Is that normal? It is normal for the world, but not for the true Christian who has learned and knows how loving, how sufficient, how mighty our God is. If we really believe He knows, and cares, about every problem, every illness, every financial struggle, and every broken relationship in our lives, then we can sincerely smile and say “Thanks” in and for everything. The scriptures admonish us to do these two things – “Thank God in everything, no matter what the circumstances may be, (be thankful and give thanks) for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus” (I Thess.5:18 (Amp.). Is this easy? NO! But when we know God is there with us in the middle of the hardest situation; when we know He cares and that He is able to make all things work out for our good (Rom.8:28); when we know He will give us the strength (Phil.4:13) to fight this battle and come out victorious in the end. In fact, II Cor.12:9, tells us that it is in the middle of our weakest, most difficult times is when He can prove His strength to be perfect in our weakness. So we should rejoice and be thankful in the hard times – thankful that His strength is powerful enough to get us through any situation and is sufficient for any contingency, and His presence is so sweet and precious. I have heard more than one preacher say, “We are to be thankful in all things, but not for all things” – wrong! Ephesians 5:20 plainly tells us, “At all times and for everything, giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” We can thank Him for any problem we may be facing, spirit, soul or body because He wants to use our helplessness and our incapacity to “fix” our problem, to show Himself mighty on our behalf. Andre’ Crouch said in his song, “Through It All,” “If I didn’t have a problem I wouldn’t know that God could solve them.” We thank Him for that financial problem because it causes us to cry out to God for help, and then we watch Him as He works out that problem we could never have solved. We may have a relationship problem and when we give it to God and thank Him that He is the “Restorer of the breach,” we can thank Him because, “In His time He makes all things beautiful” (Eccl.3:11). If we had never had that problem we would never be able to see how God could solve it, and see that the relationship was stronger and sweeter than before. We can thank God for permitting us to see His miracle working power in our hearts. Problems have a way of stopping us in our tracts. He desires that we get quiet and wait before Him so we can hear His still small voice. I do not like all the cloudy, rainy days we have been having lately because I am not able to get outside and do some most needed work, but I am thankful for the rain, we have needed it so badly, so I have been playing “catch-up” inside and thanking the Lord for the rain that gives me the opportunity to work inside, and time to study and write that I neglect when I can work outside. Long distance running requires a lot of training. The typical marathon runner spends months preparing for the race. The training is disciplined and difficult. He gets up early and hits the road, focusing on his goal; he pushes through mental and physical exhaustion, looking for his “second wind.” He runs often, he carefully watches what he eats and gets plenty of sleep, all to build endurance. Although it is not easy, the discipline is essential if he wants to win that 26.2 miles race. Likewise, in our Christian race, we must understand that endurance is imperative to win the prize. James 1:2-4 tells us what builds spiritual stamina – enduring tests and tribulations; and we should even welcome them, and “rejoice” in and for them because when we let endurance, steadfastness and patience have full play, and do a thorough work so we will be fully developed, we will be lacking nothing. This “proves” our faith.” James is talking here about being thankful in and for any, and all challenges we may face with the inner strength and power of the Holy Spirit. Charles Stanley says to ask yourself the question, “Am I willing to go through this intense workout today in order to win the race tomorrow?” Tribulations (troubles and testing’s) will come so why not be thankful in and for them and let your faith grow strong for the bigger testing’s that will come, and those testings will work out for you “a greater weight of glory” (II Cor.4:17. Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome this world. (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.)” (John 16:33). Through It All Andre Crouch I’ve had many tears and sorrows, I’ve had questions for tomorrow, There’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrong; But in every situation God gave blessed consolation that my trials come to only make me strong. I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through; For if I’d never had a problem I wouldn’t know that He could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.