Each of us has experienced painful things in life. If you are like me, thankfulness has not always been my first reaction. We are not naturally thankful for pain, losses, cutting words, and sad news. However, we need to remember that above the clouds the sun is shining. That is true of life’s trials as well. Read 1Thessalonians 5:18.

Transition

I believe that rightly understanding this verse is a three-step process that I want us to work through this morning.

The first step is to believe that …

God Knows and Oversees All Things

  1. Nothing ever surprises God.
    1. God knows all things. His understanding is unlimited.
      1. (Psalms 147:5) “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”
      2. (Isaiah 40:28) “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”
      3. (Jeremiah 23:24) “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.”
      4. (Romans 11:33) “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”
    2. God knows when both good and bad events come our way.
  2. God knows what is best for every situation
    1. God is big enough to hold the universe in His hand. (Isaiah 40:12) “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?”
    2. Nothing is too difficult for God. (Jeremiah 32:17) “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”
    3. Job 38-41 describes God’s creation and reveals His absolute sovereignty over the entire universe.
    4. He knows what is best for everything that comes up in life.
    5. He knows what will happen as a result of every choice we make.
      ☆ You must truly believe that God knows and oversees all things before you will be able to be thankful for everything.

The second step is to believe that…

All God Allows in Your Life is His Plan for You.

  1. God has a plan for your life
    1. Only a foolish person would try to build an entire house without first making some sort of blueprint to follow. God is even wiser, so we know that He has a blueprint, plan or will for our lives.
    2. To be the most fulfilled in this life, we must draw close to God, discover His plan or will, and then follow it exactly.
    3. In nature we see that storms cause plants and trees to develop deeper roots and stronger trunks. Some seeds in the forest will only sprout after a forest fire. Someone wisely said, “All sunshine makes a desert.” Trials are not our enemies as we often think.
    4. God knows what trials we need. He knows what will make us stronger and more dependent on Him.
    5. God sees perfectly the beginning and the end of our lives. He designs every part of it for our good including the dark tunnels and the mountain top experiences.
  2. God works all things together for your good
    1. Sometimes, God allows unpleasant thing in our lives. Even these bitter moments have a positive purpose.
      1. God uses trials to make us wiser, more Christ-like in character, more empathetic toward others, stronger spiritually, and more dependent on Him.
      2. In the book of Job, God knew that Job would be benefited by all the terrible things He allowed Satan to do to him. God was not being unkind.
      3. Of this we are assured in (Romans 8:28). “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
    2. If we disobey God’s will and sin, we cannot blame God for that. God did not plan for us to sin. (James 1:13-15) “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Sin is our fault, not God’s.
    3. When we mess up God’s plan for our lives, we will suffer for it, but all is not lost. If we will confess our sin and seek God’s will, He has a merciful and gracious way of remoulding our lives. He will modify the blueprint to accommodate our failure so that we can still glorify Him. We may miss out on some of what He originally had planned for us, but He will not cast us away. Jeremiah 18:1-6 tells us that like a potter, God can remould us.
      ☆ You must truly believe that God knows and oversees all things, AND that all God allows in your life is His plan for you before you will be able to be thankful for everything.

The third step is…

Believing this Will Motivate you to be Thankful for Everything.

  1. If you truly believe that every situation is God’s will for your life, you will be thankful.
    1. In time of blessing and burden, God is good! (Psalms 34:8) “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Believe this with all your heart.
    2. It is not so easy to give thanks for the painful things in life. Disappointments, accidents, death of a loved one, abuse, divorce, flat tyre, damaging storm, financial loss, robbery, and sickness are all painful experiences. When things like these happen, it is easier to feel sorry for ourselves or to complain “Why me?” The devil wants our painful experiences to make us bitter. God wants them to make us better.
      1. When painful things happen, God wants us to focus not on the pain but on the gain. Look for the positive benefits in your pain.
      2. The Psalmist gave thanks for God’s mercy. (Psalms 107:1) “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
      3. The apostles found a reason to be thankful when they were beaten. (Acts 5:41) “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”
      4. Paul became thankful for his thorn in the flesh. (2 Corinthians 12:10) “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
  2. God commands that we give thanks for everything.
    1. We need to count our blessings and praise God for them.
      1. We should have a blessings book that we record blessings in. I used to do that and I need to begin again.
      2. Sing the hymn, “Count Your Blessings” when tempted to be unthankful.
    2. The next time a painful experience takes place, pause and ask God to help you find some good in it. Then thank God for the trial.
    3. If at the moment you cannot think of any good in your trial, thank God that you know He makes no mistakes. Then ask Him to give you peace and who you what He wants you to learn.
      ☆ If you refuse to be thankful for a painful experience, you do not truly believe that God is good.

Conclusion

We have identified three steps that will help you be thankful in all things. 1) God knows and oversees all things. 2) All that God allows in your life is part of His plan. 3) Believing this will motivate you to be thankful for everything. If you have not been thankful in everything, it is time that you follow the steps we outlined and begin obeying this command. I must do the same!

Song: Count Your Blessings, 370
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Thankful for Everything
5 June 2016 AM – 1Thessalonians 5:18 –1Th2016 – Scott Childs