In Everything Give Thanks
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. —1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
We can worship God and give thanks to Him, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. We can give thanks for the fact that God is still on the throne. We can be confident in the fact that He ultimately will work all things "together for good to those who love [Him] and are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Remember when Paul and Silas were arrested for preaching the gospel? They were whipped and thrown into a Roman prison with their feet in stocks. There they were, chained up in this dark, damp, stinking dungeon. So what did they do? The Bible says that at midnight, Paul and Silas began to sing praises to God (see Acts 16:22–25). Only a true Christian can do that. They gave thanks, because God was still in control.
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Or think about Job. Talk about having a bad day. In one, horrendous day, he lost his family, his possessions, and his health in a matter of hours. Everything fell apart. And when it was all said and done, what did Job do? Did he curse God? No. The Bible says that he fell down and worshiped God, saying, "'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'" (Job 1:21).
We worship God not because we are in the mood, for what we can get out of it, or to get a blessing. No, we should worship toward the goal of just exalting, magnifying, and praising God for His worthiness. Rejoice in Him always!
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