Always Give Thanks?

Always Give Thanks?

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." These words flashed into Lillian's mind almost as soon as the jolting stopped.

"Are you all right?" her husband asked. She reassured him, and he got out of the car to survey the damage.

Lillian was amazed at his calmness while talking to the driver who had hit them while they were stopped at a red light. Even on the trip home with gas fumes billowing from the engine, her husband remained calm and accepting. This was definitely not a normal reaction for him.

He began to share his thoughts. "The first words to flash in my mind," he said, "were 'Rejoice in the Lord, always! I will say it again, rejoice.' I suppose that means that we should praise God in this circumstance as much as if something good happened. This accident is going to work out for our good in some way."

Lillian and her husband had been memorizing scriptures about being content and giving thanks in every circumstance, and this was an unexpected opportunity to see if they really could rejoice regardless of what was happening.

They thought of various reasons to give thanks. For instance, because of a last minute decision, their two-year-old daughter was not with them. They continued to give thanks in the following days when God provided a better car for them.

Lillian said, "Our reactions to that accident were guided by the verses we had memorized. Time after time, God has used His Spirit to give us insights into how to apply His memorized Word to our lives."

Dear Father, guide us to memorize those verses that You want to use in our daily lives.