All inclusive
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
November 30, 2024
Dear friends,
This year at our Thanksgiving dinner, I quoted the short passage above. It's a marvel of simplicity, and each word gives depth and breadth. Note the modifiers: "always... without ceasing... in all circumstances." Note the imperatives: "rejoice... pray... give thanks."
In the Bible, to rejoice does not mean simply be happy about things in general, but to take delight in, and be glad about, what God has said and done (e.g., Matt 5:12; Lu 1:14; 10:20; 19:37; Jn 16:22; Rom 5:2, 3, 11). It is to take delight in the Lord himself, "rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil 4:4) We are to pray and keep praying. We are to give thanks in all things. (Not giving thanks for all things, but in all things, that is, in every circumstance we find ourselves in, see Philippians 4:10-13). To give thanks is more than merely feeling thankful in a vague sense. Thanks-giving gives credit where credit is due.
This, simply and in straightforward manner, is God's will for us in Christ Jesus. It's not a suggestion or wishful thinking. It is his will for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. It is part and parcel of what it means to be a Christian, to be God’s child.
We should live this way because our God is completely good and entirely sovereign. He is fully committed to our eternal welfare. He himself works on our behalf "always... without ceasing... and in all circumstances..." All of creation and all of history are under his control. God even uses bad things for his glory and for our ultimate good. Evil is not good in itself but can be used or managed to accomplish a higher good. One of my professors used to say, "This is not the best of all possible worlds, but it is the best way to the best of all possible worlds." (Norman Geisler) For this we give thanks!
I've also been reflecting upon a statement by Cornelius Van Til, which impressed me recently: "To see the face of God everywhere and to do all things, whether we eat or drink or do anything else, to the glory of God, that is the heart of the covenant idea. And that idea is, in the nature of the case, all inclusive." (Christian Apologetics)
Our covenant relationship with God is all-inclusive. He controls and guides all things in history and creation for good, and for our good. He is Lord of space and time, heaven and earth, things seen and unseen. He withholds no good thing that his children need. For this we give thanks!
His eternal love is all-inclusive, as befits a covenant. And our response to him is to be all-inclusive, as well -- rejoicing always, praying always, giving thanks in all things, as befits our covenant relationship to him. In a covenant such as marriage, partners give themselves unreservedly to the other. We have every reason to be glad always, to keep praying, and to give thanks in every circumstance, for it's the Lord's will and we belong to him, now and forever.
I hope your Thanksgiving was a blessed time! We enjoyed being with family in Georgia for a few days. Grandchildren grow up so quickly!
RECENT READING.
-- "It is a remarkable providence that John F. Kennedy and C.S. Lewis died on the same day. It is likewise remarkable that while Kennedy obtained the most powerful office in the world, it is the professor, the letter writer, and the storyteller Lewis whose prophetic voice rings out most audibly and most wisely from the grave. Political power does not a wise man make." (Samuel D. James)
-- "Do-able Simplicities: On Letter Writing and Fountain Pens."
-- "The Surprising Benefits of Talking Out Loud to Yourself" (Well, there’s Psalm 42:5, 11!)
-- Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year is "manifest," and here's why.
-- When diehard football fans want to be interred at their favorite stadium. (Probably not true of Hokies’ fans this year…)
FINAL QUOTES.
"Precisely because C. S. Lewis knew that the claims of Christianity were all-encompassing, he recognized that no civilization that abandoned it could function." (Samuel D. James, "Narnia Remains")
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.