Thankfulness and the Will of God

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
                                                                                     Ephesians 5.18

There are many things about the will of God I can’t explain. Some aspects are mysterious. Questions abound such as the presence of evil. How could God allow such terrible things to happen – things like the death of a child, murders, and natural disasters? Is this God’s will?

Some aspects of God’s will are absolutely marvelous. For example: The bible says “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11.25) God allowed Israel to stumble in unbelief so the Gentile nations would believe in order to provoke Israel to jealousy so that they will one day return to faith in Christ. No wonder the Apostle Paul continues with “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?’"

But…. There are aspects of the will of God that are plain and simple such as: It is the will of God for us to give thanks in everything.

Maybe we should not concern ourselves so much with the mysterious and focus more on the clearly revealed truths of God’s will. Do you want to be in God’s will? Give thanks. Do you want to be there happily? Give thanks in everything.

The word doesn’t tell us to be thankful for everything but to be thankful in everything. Regardless the circumstance you can find something to be thankful for. I think it was Matthew Henry who after being robbed, said (I paraphrase) “I thank you Lord that that it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.”

Romans 8.28, in the bible says, “And we know that that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” He doesn’t say all things are good but that all things work together for the good of his called out ones.

May we find ourselves clearly inside the revealed will of God today by being thankful.