Thank God

1Thess. 5:18) “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” It has been said that the happiest people in the world are those that are thankful, and they are happy because they have learned to trust the Lord in every circumstance in life. If we by faith come to the place where we believe that everything happens for a purpose (Rom. 8:28), then we will be able to thank the Lord when in both the good and bad times. For some reason we as believers have bought into this idea that if we are faithful then only good things will happen, and if we are bad then only bad things, but God wants us to see that both good and bad happen to all men alike, but the difference between those that are thankful and those that are not, is in their ability to simply trust God. Thank God for the good things, all of them, but thank God the more when in the bad times. Why, Because He is there for us every hour and every minute. The will of God is to be thankful, so may we this Thanksgiving be thankful, “in every- thing!”

Beyond their power

Another Faith Promise year is ahead of us, and again this month we will be taking your pledges for another year. Now before we do, it’s vital that we pray and seek God by faith before we give. The worst thing that we can do is to pledge and not give, so seek the will of God and then by faith trust Him. Our slogan this year is “Abounding Unto His Riches,” (2 Cor. 8:2). In this chapter, the Apostle Paul praised the Macedonian Church for their abundance of giving even when in “great trial of affliction, and deep poverty.” In other words, they gave even when it looked impossible, for they gave “beyond their power.” Be careful not to underestimate the power of our great God, for if we by faith trust in His promises, He because of our faith will cause us to “abound unto His riches.”