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In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
This a very powerful scripture if you really think about it. He's saying in every circumstance, good or bad, give thanks. Now, he doesn't say for every thing, he says in every thing. In every circumstance we should still give thanks and praise to God because He is good, He loves us, and we know He is going to work everything out. I think its important to realize the in part, because really i don't think its possible to be thankful for a bad circumstance. But it is possible to be thankful while going through that bad circumstance.
A thankful heart in every circumstance is very hard to come by. At least i know it is for me. That's why I believe we should be on the lookout to train ourselves to find something in everything we are going through to be thankful for. Even if all you can think of is that God loves you. Because once you really know that God loves you, your heart will be overflowing with thankfulness.
But when you are going through something so hard and you still can truthfully and whole heartedly thank God and give Him praise, then watch out, because your breakthrough is coming soon. And I'm not just saying that, it's biblical. Here are some examples:
2 Chronicles 20 (I recommend reading this whole chapter because its BEAUTIFUL)- Jehoshaphat was king of Judah and a great multitude was coming ahainst him. He was afraid and sought the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. He prayed to God when all had gathered together and the Spirit of the Lord came upon this man and told them (in my own words) not to be afraid because God was going to fight this battle for them. The next day they woke early and went forth to see this battle and Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go before them and praise God and when they began to sing, God sent ambushments against their enemy and defeated the enemy for them. All they had to do was collect the spoils and it took them three days to do so because there was so many riches.
Daniel 6- Daniel was preferred by king Darius above all the other presidents and princes. God had given him favor. And the others were jealous. So they tried to find something agaonst Daniel that would destroy his reputation and standing with the king, but they could find none. He had no fault. So they decided that the only fault they could find against him was concerning the law of his God. Thinking this the best idea, they went to the king and asked him to make a decree 'that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save thee, O king, he shall be cast into a den of lions.' The king signed the decree. v. 10- Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. The princes and such knew this was going to happen so they told the king, and the king, though he didn't want to put Daniel in the lions den,commanded it be done because of the decree. To make a long story shorter, Daniel had faith in God, along with a thankful heart in the midst of this horrible circumstance, and God closed the lion's mouths.
Jonah-He didn't want to go to Ninevah and the Lord prepared a fish to swallow him. Three days and three nights he was in the belly of the fish and while there he prayed unto the Lord. In chapter 2 verse 9 he says- But i will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving (emphasis mine); I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. v. 10- And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Luke 17:12-19- Jesus met 10 men that were lepers. They cried for His mercy and He told them to go and show themselves to the priests. On their way, they were healed. But one man came back and v. 16- fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks . . . Jesus asked where the others were but when they were not found, He told the man v. 19- arise go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. The man was healed on the way to the priests, but his faith combined with thanksgiving, made him whole. That means that any part of him that that disease had eaten away was no longer gone. He was whole.
Acts 16:16-26- Paul and Silas- They had been arrested and thrown into prison, beaten as well. And after they had been beaten, they were thrown in the inner prison and their feet put in stocks. At midnight they prayed and sang praises to God loud enough for the other prisoners to hear. And then there was a great earthquake and their bands were loosed and the doors opened.
Do you see what I mean when I say that in a bad circumstance, if you have a thankful heart in it, your breakthrough is coming soon? When I read these stories this morning, I was like, Wow! Now i understand exactly what he means when he says in In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. You're allowing Him to move in your circumstance! So i just pray that this encourages you as much as it did me. If God can close lion's mouths, defeat a multitude, save you from a fish's belly, make a body whole, and loose bands and open prison doors with an earthqauke, He can surely do a mighty work in whatever kind of circumstance we are going through! So long as we trust Him, walk by faith, and in every thing give thanks.
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Yes, praising God is a weapon He has given to us. Yet we seldom use them because many of us are looking at the circumstances around us and not looking at God and who He is. There is nothing too difficult for the Lord.