GET TOGETHER- IN EVERYTHING THANK HIM

GET TOGETHER- IN EVERYTHING THANK HIM

1Th 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I first met my good friend and Brother in Christ Jackie Isom in 1991.  We were working on a Christian retreat. We were both pretty new Christians.   Jackie gave me a book by Merlin Carruthers.  Jackie was one of the Founding Elders at Christ Community Fellowship. He has been in Heaven since 2016. He bought hundreds of copies of this book and gave them out to many to help them in their journey with the Lord. 

The name of the book was Prison to Praise. Merlin got saved in Prison. He went on to become a faithful Chaplain in the US Army.  He also served in ministry after that. In the book he talked about how we are supposed to give thanks in all situations.  This morning as I was driving into town the Holy Spirit brought the passage from 1 Thessalonians by me. I thought about how for all of us how this has been a very different and challenging time.  Some of us have had some major things happen in our lives as a result of this pandemic.  Love ones have passed away and funerals had to be kept to a minimum of the closest relatives at best.   Some people have experienced major financial loss. And for all of us we have had to make a lot of adjustments that can sometimes be somewhat irritating. On the other hand, for some of us there has been more time with family during this season.  

            I don’t believe that God sent the virus. I do believe that He has used it in a lot of different ways in different peoples lives.  I do believe that it is His will that we thank Him in all situations. 

             So today I am going to thank Him that I can allow Him to use me to send this message. I am going to thank Him that I know that no matter what happens that I am going to live in Heaven with Him one day. I am going to thank Him that according to His word in Eph 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”   I am going to thank Him that according to Ro 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Thank Him because He will not leave you! Thank Him because He is mightier than a jillion pandemics! Thank Him because when we are in the fire just like He was with Daniel He will be in the fire with us!  I feel like preaching!!   I thank him for my family! I thank Him for saving me from Hell! I thank Him that I have a car to drive! I thank Him that we have heat! There isn’t enough time for me to thank Him for all of the things that I could thank Him for in this devotional.  I thank Him that He is on the throne. I thank Him that He will have the final say in everything!

So as Paul writes in 1Th 5:16 ¶ Rejoice always.  We can shout Hallelujah during this time! We can rejoice because God is for us and if God be for us who ,or what can be against us. We can do this because Paul also tells us in this chapter in  v.17 pray without ceasing.

            Sometime  today just begin to thank Him ! It will have a big effect on you and what is going on in the spirit realm.   I called sister Judy to see if it was ok to use Jackie’s name in this devotional. She assured me that it was and then shared with me that today was his birthday. What a blessing to know that someone can be in Heaven and God still be using them here on earth.    I believe that as we give thanks in this situation that God will use us while we are still here on earth, and after we are gone to be with Jesus as well.

Let us pray

Lord I must confess that there have been sometimes during this pandemic that I have griped and complained more than I have thanked You. Lord please forgive me and help me and all that read this to give you thanks during this time of trial and challenge. Help us to be a light in a dark season and always giving You thanks!

In Jesus Name

Amen

We give Him thanks for all of you!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston