“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)
May I begin our devotional time together with a question? What were you thinking about right before you clicked over to read this?
Was it the ever-growing list of things that must get done today? How about the endless run of posts showing up in your newsfeed, beckoning you to keep scrolling. Or maybe your thoughts hovered over a bigger problem, something that’s causing you to worry and lose precious sleep.
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As I wrote this, I struggled to keep my focus where it needed to be. Because, like so many times in our daily lives, a nagging pain kept fighting for my attention.
Not the heartache kind of pain which can be the most excrutiating of all.) But I was thinking about physical pain.
My body is currently in recovery-mode after some recent treatments. I’m regaining my strength, but certain things still hurt. And I’ve discovered that physical pain can take control of my thoughts, if I let it.
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” (Psalm 107:31 NIV)
When our thoughts wander to our circumstances, gratitude can get those thoughts back on the right track. God is worthy of our thanks. But in certain struggles, finding gratitude is harder than others. (Like when we’re hurting and nothing seems to help.)
1 Thessalonians teaches us to give thanks in all circumstances. But when we face our deepest struggles and our pain threatens our thoughts, Psalm 107 offers hope. It describes 4 specific circumstances when it’s important for us to thank God.
Thanking God in the Wilderness
The psalmist tells four stories about times when God worked a miracle for his people. The first one begins with a reference to the children of Israel—wanderers without a place to settle (Psalm 107:4). In the midst of desperation, God responded to their cries for help. He guided them to a place where they would find everything they needed.
“Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Psalm 107:4-9)
When we face an uncertain future and don’t see a way out, God will answer. We serve a God who “smooths out the path ahead” of us (Isaiah 26:7).
Thanking God When We’re Captive to Sin
Being held captive is quite different than wandering in unknown territory. But regardless of our circumstances, God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). In this situation, God’s people called to him, and he delivered the prisoners from captivity (Psalm 107:13).
“Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.” (Psalm 107:10-16)
Thanking God Through Sickness
Even when sickness affects our bodies and makes us feel like there’s no end to the suffering, God is with us as our Healer and Comforter. When his people cried out, He healed those with afflictions (Psalm 107:20). The strongest chains and deepest wounds are no match for God’s great love.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:19-22)
Thanking God in the Storm
Maybe your battle isn’t in the desert, in chains, or with sickness today. Maybe a storm rages around you, and you’ve been knocked down by wave after wave of bad news. You may not feel thankful right now, but we can’t let the storm of today cloud our memories of his mercy. In the fourth description in Psalm 107, God “stilled the storm” and brought calm when things grew out of control.
“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.” (Psalm 107:28-30)
Each painful situation described in this Psalm ends with a call for us to thank the Lord for His wonderful deeds and unfailing love. That’s why I wrote this Psalm 107 prayer. (Subscribers can download the prayer here with your password.)
God is faithful, and thanking him for all he has done brings hope in the most difficult times of life.
Let’s thank the Lord for His faithfulness that overcomes the chains of yesterday, wilderness of today, and storms of tomorrow.
His love never fails, and His deeds are wonderful.
