By Wendy Reaume

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph.5:20)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess.5:18)

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

It is not only in the Psalms that we are called to be a people of thanksgiving. We are exhorted many times in the New Testament to be a people of gratitude. It is an easy thing when we are blessed and all is going well. No one has trouble thanking God for a generous Christmas bonus, sunny days for vacationing, or the arrival of a new grandbaby. It is when things are difficult, wearing, monotonous, sad or just plain hard that we find it an effort to be thankful. And yet, as the verses above so clearly show, we are to be thankful always, in all circumstances and it is a command. After living in Africa for more than 25 years I can testify without even knowing you that there are people in this world who are better off than you, and those who have it much worse. Every person's measure of health, wealth and happiness can be measured against those who have more and who have less. And no matter what the level of pain or suffering you go through, your pain is YOUR pain and therefore is real and hard and frankly, not always a reason to be thankful.

God is the God of silver linings. When Jesus died on the cross it was horrible for Him. And yet, it was the price that bought us our salvation. When Jesus died on the cross it was horrible for His disciples. They hid in fear of the Jewish leaders.  On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’  And yet, there was a silver lining: After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when the saw the Lord.  (John 20:19,20) 

The reason that we look for that silver lining is God has a plan (Jeremiah 29: 11). And even when others mess it up with sin and we suffer and are caught up in the consequences God still brings beauty from the ashes. He works all things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8: 28). God is the joy giver. He gives us an inner joy that is different from outward happiness and that joy has as its foundation the promise that God will replace the ashes on our forehead (mourning) with beauty (a Hebrew translation for a beautiful tiara or headdress) (Isaiah 61: 3). Even in death we do not grieve as those without hope(1 Thessalonians 4: 13 - 14)

Being thankful in all circumstances isn’t a morbid acceptance of tragedy with a pasted-on smile and a shout of ‘Praise the Lord.’ It is a quiet trust that regardless of what life throws at us, God is greater than our circumstances. It is a quiet trust that God is still a God of miracles, and even if things on this earth don’t play out the way we have prayed for them to work out, God will make all things right and this temporal existence is truly just the very beginning of our eternal life; a life that will be spent mostly in heaven with no more tears and suffering.

Silver linings were invented and gifted by God. As hard as it is, may we learn to be children of God who practise true heart-felt thanksgiving.

Our song for today is Grateful by Elevation Worship.