Restoring Thanks

Restoring Thanks

Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

CORRIE AND BETSIE TEN BOOM WONDERED how they would survive the awful conditions of a concentration camp. But after reading Paul’s instructions about giving thanks in everything, they realized that gratitude was a God-given tool. So they began thanking God for each other, for the fact that they still had a Bible, for other Christians in the camp, and for the cramped conditions that would allow more women to hear the Good News when they read from their Bible. But when Betsie thanked God even for the fleas, Corrie objected. She couldn’t see how fleas could possibly be redeemable, how they could be a gift from God.

Much later, they realized why the room where they gathered and had the freedom to talk was not closely watched. The guards didn’t want to go in because of the fleas. What looked like an unfortunate curse turned out to be a divine blessing. Many women had come to believe in Jesus in their barracks because the guards stayed away from the fleas.

God never tells us that we have to enjoy every aspect of life. He does tell us, however, that every circumstance can be turned around to serve his purposes and bless his people when we have enough faith and trust to thank him for them. He makes all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes (Romans 8:28), and those with thankful hearts can see that promise unfold in real time. Something significant happens in the spiritual realm when God’s people devote themselves to thanks and praise. Dreadful circumstances become less dreadful. Sometimes they even change dramatically.

Devote yourself to gratitude and praise. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Negative perspectives discard the lenses of faith for less worthy views. Worship and thanksgiving restore them. For lives fruitful in prayer, this becomes not a season of the year but a lifestyle forever. And it delights God’s heart and opens us to receive all the insight, fullness, and answers he wants to give.

One act of thanksgiving when things go wrong with us is worth a thousand thanks when things are agreeable.