As we approach this Thanksgiving, the Lord has put on my heart many times over the last month the verse that Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." When I think of what to give thanks for, my first thoughts are usually the many blessings the Lord has bestowed upon my life including His love and grace.However, this Thanksgiving the Lord has brought to my mind the many trials I have faced and has challenged me to be thankful. Not just thankful for the victories out of the trials, but actually thankful for the difficult and challenging time. I read not long ago in a book on leadership about courage. It said you cannot have courage without fear. The more I have thought about this the more I have thought about the similarities between blessings and trials. The experiences that I have faced, although not always pleasant, have molded my strength in the Lord, my trust in the Lord, my love for the Lord, and my witness of the Lord. It is because of these things that I can truly "give thanks in all circumstances".
A.W. Tozer once said, “Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.” This Thanksgiving I have been challenged to look beyond the obvious into those things unrealized and give thanks, a "Thanksgiving Twist". What I have found is His blessings are limitless!
