Give Thanks Always
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful,
I am thankful for many things, one being that I have lived long enough to understand when God tells us to do something, He is not playing. As I often say, when God says to be holy as He is holy, it is not just a suggestion. Likewise, when God says to rejoice always, to pray continually, and to give thanks in all circumstances, these are behaviors we should practice.
You see, holiness is a part of God’s character. But for humans, since it is not natural to us, we must seek after holiness. How do we seek holiness? By setting our minds on things above, by setting our hearts on loving what God loves, and by setting our actions to live as Jesus lived. And, by rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances.
I wrote a song about true praise around 30 years ago. I’d like to share part of it now.
True praise is like a fragrance, expensive and so rare
Stored in the heart of the believer, marked, “handle with care.”
But once the bottle’s opened and the aroma fills the air,
Then there’s praise, praise, praise everywhere.
Let my praise be like a fragrance carried high on angel’s wings
Let the aroma drift to heaven’s throne
Into the King of Kings,
Let my sacrifice be wholly acceptable my God to thee
Just let me praise your name thru eternity.
May we understand that God desires to set us apart for his purposes and for our calling. May we yield to His unchanging hand as He continues to mold us and shape us, and may we offer up true praise every day of our lives.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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