Desires of the Heart

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Sometimes we can find it hard to rejoice, to give thanks in everything. Sure, we give thanks for all the good things in our lives, when we see the good. We count our blessings ‘one by one’ as we were taught. We pray ‘thank you for family, friends, a home, etc, etc’ almost as a toddler learning to pray. Just as toddlers grow and learn, we too as Christians must mature in our faith. If we only thank God for the ‘one by ones’ we are missing the point.

REJOICE ALWAYS! Rejoice- to feel or show great joy or delight. Take a moment to let the meaning sink in. Are you feeling or showing great joy or delight every day (always)? Better yet, can others see this great joy and delight in you every day (always)? Obviously we all have better days than others and our emotions change with the wind, sometimes for heavy reasons. However, the joy we are looking at in this verse is not an emotion, but a state of being that can only be fulfilled through Jesus. Let’s look at some examples given to us in Scripture.

In Luke 17, Jesus heals 10 lepers yet only one returns with thanksgiving. Jesus noted the response of the ‘one’ as praiseworthy. Our first response naturally is to say, “I can’t believe they received such healing and were not thankful.” However, if we examine our lives closely, I know we each can find an answered prayer that we did not return thanks for. Think of a time you prayed for yourself or someone else and that prayer was answered. Now think about how long you prayed that prayer versus how long you thanked God after it was answered. ……. It is important for us to remember that God is not a genie in a bottle. Pray, Receive, Quick Thanks, Repeat. This is not a relationship with our Father. The ‘one’ leper’s response was sincere and praiseworthy. Let us aim to have that kind of thankfulness in our hearts.

In much of Paul’s writing, we know that he was imprisoned, yet his letters are full of joy. This is what REJOICE ALWAYS looks like. As Paul writes to the new Christians they are being persecuted heavily. As Americans, we have no idea what this is like, yet. Paul and the people are in danger of losing their lives but Paul encourages them and us to rejoice. If you want to see your faith grow, praise Him through the storm, not just on the other side. Don’t just praise Him for the good that you can see. James tells us ‘count it all joy when we have trials and tribulations’. Wow, you mean thank God for the hard times? Yes! The hard times are there for a reason. In the midst of our pain we may not see it immediately or maybe never on this earth, but rest assured God works all things for good. (Romans 8:28) Yes, it is hard to fathom how disease and death can be worked for good and how we can be thankful for them. It all flows back to one question: Do you trust that God is good?

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8

Even if our prayer isn’t answered, even when we have nothing left in our life, we have God. This is reason to rejoice! Being thankful for what He gives us is very different from being thankful for Him. I encourage you to sit in His presence today, soak in His goodness, and trust Him with a thankful heart that rejoices always.

Dear Lord, forgive us for our ungratefulness. Thank you for your wonderful love. We thank you for all the ‘one by ones’, the answered prayers, and the trials, but even more we thank you for You! Help us to develop a heart that rejoices always and trusts that you are good! Amen

Dig Deeper:

Check out these verses in the YouVersion Bible App/Link https://www.bible.com/search/bible?query=thanks

Matt Redman: The Heart of Worship https://youtu.be/HwlGdZBSX8k?si=H63YhbraycmGx4D2

Natalie Grant: More Than Anything https://youtu.be/mNkDdXhjFy0?si=pPBENTtMlQivlTJO