November 22, 2016 – I Thessalonians 5:18

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.      I Thessalonians 5:18I can hear you asking, Why?  God ‘said so’.  This is his will when we belong to Jesus.When we hurt it reminds of Jesus.  It is like a bookmark —  reminding us where we are in a book we are reading. Our hurts are reminders of where we are in the story we are living with Jesus.  When the story – our story of life –  is finished, we can thank Him face-to-face.When our Moms teach us to say thank you, we didn’t know it was in God’s Plan to understand being thankful.  We didn’t know it is an introduction to thanking God for being faithful and giving us strength for the hard things.Being thankful for the little things is a prayer before we pray for things we think will make life better for us.  Have you wondered who God is?  He is the God of peace, of love, of forgiveness, joy, faithfulness, our shield from evil, and He makes us holy in every way.He wants us to live with Him forever. That is why He sent our Lord Jesus Christ.God calls you by name – our name is written on the palm of His Hand.  He knows each one of us.  The Creator God who said the words to create this world we live in and the breath we breathe can make us blameless until Jesus comes again…moment by moment.Each time you become aware of a kindness extended to you – pray a prayer of ‘Thank You!’ Not only the person who brightens your day in some way, but also to Our Lord God of Peace.Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.     I Thessalonians 5:23-24