Strength for the Journey – Day 35
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
Strength for the Journey
40 Scriptures to Shape Your Faith
Day 35 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Strength for the Journey
40 Scriptures to Shape Your Faith
Day 35 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (NASB)
Nine words. Three SHORT commands. Each one seemingly IMPOSSIBLE. Rejoice ALWAYS? Pray WITHOUT CEASING? Give thanks in EVERYTHING? Come on, Paul. Be realistic! And yet, this is what he wrote in his letter to the Thessalonians.
Remember, Paul wasn't sitting in comfort, dispensing good thoughts. He was living HARD and still writing THESE words. That gives them weight.
“REJOICE ALWAYS.” I can hear most people say: “Yeah, right.” You don’t know what I’m in the middle of. True, but God does… and these verses still apply. You can REJOICE that God is still on the throne, still hears your prayers, and still provides for your needs.
“PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.” This doesn’t mean to pray by folding your hands and closing your eyes while driving. But I (or you) CAN pray in the car, or when waiting for a meeting to start, or outside a hospital room while waiting for the staff to finish. Just start by remembering that HE never sleeps and hears ALL prayers.
“IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS.” Not FOR everything but IN everything. That distinction matters! God doesn't ask you to be thankful FOR the cancer, the car accident, or the loss. He asks you to be thankful IN them… finding His faithfulness even amid pain. "Thank You, Lord, that even though this situation is awful, You're WITH me."
And here's the clincher: "this is GOD'S WILL for you in Christ Jesus." Did you catch that? Joy, prayer, and gratitude aren't suggestions… they're GOD'S WILL. If you've ever wondered what God's will is for your life, HERE it is. Three things. Start HERE.
Try it. Today. And watch your peace INCREASE.
Quote: "A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues."
— Thomas Aquinas
Prayer: Father, cultivate in me a heart that REJOICES, PRAYS, and GIVES THANKS — even in hard seasons. Amen.
"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (NASB)
Nine words. Three SHORT commands. Each one seemingly IMPOSSIBLE. Rejoice ALWAYS? Pray WITHOUT CEASING? Give thanks in EVERYTHING? Come on, Paul. Be realistic! And yet, this is what he wrote in his letter to the Thessalonians.
Remember, Paul wasn't sitting in comfort, dispensing good thoughts. He was living HARD and still writing THESE words. That gives them weight.
“REJOICE ALWAYS.” I can hear most people say: “Yeah, right.” You don’t know what I’m in the middle of. True, but God does… and these verses still apply. You can REJOICE that God is still on the throne, still hears your prayers, and still provides for your needs.
“PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.” This doesn’t mean to pray by folding your hands and closing your eyes while driving. But I (or you) CAN pray in the car, or when waiting for a meeting to start, or outside a hospital room while waiting for the staff to finish. Just start by remembering that HE never sleeps and hears ALL prayers.
“IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS.” Not FOR everything but IN everything. That distinction matters! God doesn't ask you to be thankful FOR the cancer, the car accident, or the loss. He asks you to be thankful IN them… finding His faithfulness even amid pain. "Thank You, Lord, that even though this situation is awful, You're WITH me."
And here's the clincher: "this is GOD'S WILL for you in Christ Jesus." Did you catch that? Joy, prayer, and gratitude aren't suggestions… they're GOD'S WILL. If you've ever wondered what God's will is for your life, HERE it is. Three things. Start HERE.
Try it. Today. And watch your peace INCREASE.
Quote: "A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues."
— Thomas Aquinas
Prayer: Father, cultivate in me a heart that REJOICES, PRAYS, and GIVES THANKS — even in hard seasons. Amen.
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