In Everything Give Thanks!

In everything? Do you mean when we are going through severe trials we should give thanks? Not only that, but the Bible tells us we should also be joyful! For we read in (James 1:2-3): “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” But why would the Bible tell us to be thankful and full of joy when we are going though severe trials? Well, just maybe it is God’s will for us to have this attitude when things seem to be out of control. For we read in (1Thessalonians 5:16-18): “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Since God is our Creator, He knows that having a thankful heart is the key to unleashing countless blessings in our lives, and yes, even in our darkest times. I have learned long ago that if God says something is His will for us then we should want to obey because we will get blessed if we only hold on. One reason I know that the Bible is God’s Word, and not the product of man, is because, like the above difficult prescription for us during trials, it is also full of tough sayings. For example, the Bible also tells us to love, bless, and pray for our enemies. (Matthew 5:44) would never be something that man would include in a book since it goes against everything a natural man would do. For it says: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” To show you what I mean about being thankful in all circumstances consider the following true story.

Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were two courageous and compassionate Dutch Christian sisters who harbored Dutch Jews from the Nazis during World War II. For their reward they were discovered by the Nazis and imprisoned in a German concentration camp. As you might imagine their barracks were filthy, overcrowded, and reeked from the rancid straw that was strewn everywhere. Needless to say, these barracks were not fit for human habitation. In addition to the rancid straw, fleas were swarming everywhere, and Corrie, being bitten by one, wondered how they could live in such a place.

One day as Betsie was praying she remembered that she and Corrie had read in the Bible, they had smuggled into the concentration camp, a passage, earlier that morning, that brought new hope to her. It was (I Thessalonians 5:14-18). And the verse that Betsie shouted out to her sister, Corrie, was verse 18 “…Give thanks in all circumstances…”

Betsie felt that while they had to live in such horrendous conditions they could choose to thank God for everything about their Nazi barracks. Corrie was reluctant at first but as they surveyed their situation they both began to thank God for the fact that they were both assigned to this same camp, they miraculously were able to smuggle a Bible into the barracks, and that because it was so crowed many women would be able to hear the Good News about Jesus. Then Betsie added one more thing to be thankful for – the fleas! At this point the agreement between the sisters parted since Corrie felt that there was no way she could see how God would want her to be thankful for the swarming infestation of fleas. At this point Betsie shared that the Bible said to be thankful in all circumstances, not just the pleasant ones. So even though Corrie felt her sister was wrong the two of them proceeded to give thanks even for the fleas.

As time marched on Betsie’s health steadily deteriorated and as a result her captors allowed her to stay behind in the barracks and knit socks together with the other very sick women who stayed behind rather than go out on work duty. And since the guards never seemed to venture far into the barracks Betsie was free to read the Bible to many of her fellow prisoners.

While both sisters never understood why they had so much freedom in the sleeping area of the barracks to read the Bible without the guards coming in, one day Betsie was shown the answer by the providence of God. It seemed that one day a supervisor was asked to come into the sleeping area of the barracks to settle a dispute relating to sock sizes and the knitting group. However, she, as well as the guards, refused stating that the place was crawling with fleas.

Corrie immediately reflected back to when Betsie had said that they should thank God even for the fleas! My friends when we sincerely begin to thank God in all circumstances He will make a way for blessings to flow even for the things that humanly speaking we can find no reason to be thankful for.