1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

New International Version (NIV)

Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

For Meditation

Trusting God in our pain is never easy, and many have struggled to accept His fairness and justice when our circumstances have called us to suffer. Tears have not helped much, and prayers have failed many. The eternal question has always been, “Where is God if He cares?” But many, like David, have trusted in God’s providential hand and praised Him anyway.

So, observe David in this scene, when his  son born out of adultery with Bathsheba died after seven days of pleading for mercy and grace with intense fasting and praying (2 Sam. 12:15-23).

1. How can your demeanor change so quickly, David? How can you switch from a subdued, desperate, and pleading disposition when your child was sick, to a well groomed and worshiping father after the death of your son  (16-23)?
2. It doesn’t make sense David; for why are you not crying and grouching, and very angry with God? Why didn’t He hear your petition when you fasted and prayed for your son’s healing (16)? How could He be so cruel and unresponsive in your darkest hour? So, how could you worship and thank Him now?
3. Can you hear David’s response? “Because He is still God and He continues to reign. I am still under His rule, no matter my circumstance; and because He is unchanging, I can still trust Him in everything. So, I thank and praise God for who He is and His faultless deeds; that somehow, His peace may come upon me” (22-23 interpreted). Isn’t that wonderful?
4. So, can you thank God with David this morning for just who He is, in spite of your circumstance? Can you praise the Lord for His faithfulness? Can you worship the God who is faultless and just in everything He does or allows, even though it’s hard for you to understand?
5. Do you see why God calls David, “a man after His own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14)? Can you understand Paul and Silas’ midnight response to their incarceration in Philippi (Acts 16:25)? Can you sense the power of praise in these faithful saints in their darkest hour (26)? Why not be encouraged by the example of these three men, who discovered the power of praise, worship, and thanksgiving as a result of their faith?

I pray you can “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” as Paul says (1 Thess. 5:18). He knows and can relate to your distress, pain, and discomfort.

So: May you find grace to uphold you today, even if  you go through a  deep valley experience; and may Christ Jesus our Lord, who is able to empathize with your weakness (Heb. 4:15), release His peace to guard your heart and mind in Himself (Phil. 4:7)!

Shalom