“Rejoice always, pray
without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.” (ESV)
This is one of those scriptures that is much easier to “Amen”
than it is to live out. But this rejoicing isn’t just in circumstances, it’s
rejoicing in God and His promises. It doesn’t mean that when things are going
horribly wrong we just naively turn a blind eye and act like there is no
problem. You can only truly rejoice when there is hope, and the only true
source of hope in hard times is God’s Word.
Just like in this verse, throughout the bible we are told to “pray and give thanks....pray and give thanks.”
But how do you know what to pray for? And what am I supposed to be thankful for
when everything seems to be coming against me? Well, we had better know,
because it’s during those times when we are at our weakest, which means the
only way out is to draw strength from somewhere else.
The answer, of course, is God’s Word. But specifically we need to
first know what God’s Word says about our circumstances so that we can pray in
faith (which means in agreement with His Word). And then we should begin to
give thanks for His promises. There is no greater expression of faith than to
thank God for your victory while you are still in the midst of the battle.
It’s during those times when an ordinary person would get angry
and depressed and discouraged, because they have no place from where they can
draw even an ounce of hope. But you have your roots planted somewhere else, and
the source that you are drawing up from cannot be depleted - the river of God
and his Word.
