Trust

Good Morning,

Concerning our trials and our faith, the Bible gives us clear, though difficult, instruction. 

Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

We are to thank God “for” and “in” each situation. We can begin by admitting that we all fail often in this commandment.  

We do not need to like everything we face. Before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus cried and sweated great drops of blood in the garden. He prayed, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…”  

Why should we be thankful?  One simple reason is due to the very nature of God. God is always good, always faithful, and always right.  We can commit each situation to the loving hands of the faithful Father.  Does God know about hat situation I am facing?  Was God overpowered by the forces of evil and could He not have prevented the trial?  Of course, God knows; and no, evil did not overpower the Creator. Yes, God could easily have prevented this tragedy.  Like the trial of Job, God was intimately involved and controlled the limits of each situation, but He does not ask our opinion or share all His plans. 

“Giving thanks always for all things” (Ephesians 5:20) and “In every thing give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) has its root in the trustworthy nature of God, not in the circumstances or our feelings.  Giving thanks has nothing to do with the trial being small or great, but in the eternal power and presence of God.  Giving thanks is not related to my strength or ability to handle the situation, but rather in the perfect behavior of our Heavenly Father. 

God sees eternal things, we see only what is around us.  God sees the dominos, the effects that this situation will bring about; we see only the immediate.  

If we serve a statue with eight arms and a demonic face, then we can fret and fall apart, but if we serve the God of glory, the eternal, immortal, invisible King and only wise God, then we can trust Him.  

We might ask ourselves if the God we love and trust is faithful, good, true, kind, and all of the other words we use to describe our Lord. If so, then through tears or suffering, we can obey the two passages above:

“Giving thanks always for all things, “ and, “In every thing give thanks…” because God is worthy of our trust.  

Pastor