Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Most every English Bible student has heard of Matthew Henry, the eighteenth-century Puritan preacher. He is best known for his six-volume whole Bible commentary which remains among the most popular of all time. He began work on his famous commentary in 174, completing it from Genesis to Acts by his death ten years later. Several of his fellow ministers compiled the remainder of the Commentary (Romans to Revelation) from Henry's own notes and writings.
As impressive and outstanding is his scholarship and hard work, the most wonderful fact about Matthew Henry is that he was a true Jesus follower and was known for his gratitude in all things. I remember many years ago my mother and father came home from being gone a couple of years to find their home had been broken into and burglarized. My mother said it was one of the most unsettling things that had ever happened to her. She said she felt violated and needed God’s help to live without fear. A similar experience happened to Henry. Several aggressive robbers forcefully accosted him. His reflection on the incident was immediately grateful: “Let me be thankful, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
What a perspective! Gratitude is a matter of obedience. It is not suggested that we be grateful. We are commanded to always give thanks in all situations and to never stop praying. God promises us great blessing as we do so – there are so many joys and benefits that come from gratitude. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to do it just because God, our loving and wise Father, told us to do it?
Think about it. When you’re up, when you’re down. When you’re well, when you’re sick. When you’re in a crowd, when you’re alone. ALWAYS be thankful in ALL circumstances. Be grateful for all the things that are good and pray for the things that aren’t yet right. It’s for your good and God’s glory. Gratitude is perhaps the best-kept secret to stability, strength, and satisfaction.
- Where is gratitude most unnatural for you? Never stop praying about it. Pray now. Find at least one cause for gratitude where you are now and express your gratitude to God.