It’s probably a little cliché to talk about gratitude in November. We all know the moment will come when we are urged, perhaps even demanded, to “give thanks.” Reflecting on my own life, I’ve slowly come to realize there has almost never been a time in my life when I wasn’t struggling with something, enduring something, or working through some hardship. Those struggles are attention-grabbing and pull our focus inward. Waiting for a calm in the storm, some season of peace often means we will be waiting quite some time.

The message of the Bible time and again is that gratitude is not reserved for times of good, plenty, or peace, but at all times. Paul urges us in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Just a little later in verse in verse 6 he will encourage us to include thanksgiving in the midst of our regular prayers to God. Paul is even more blunt in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” He says this even though, manifestly in his life and in the lives of people around him, the circumstances were often bad, hard, difficult, or challenging to faith. The question worth asking is “why?”

It is easy enough to think of this in terms of the Law of the Lord. Give thanks because you ought to and because God deserves it. Yet I think we miss a better truth about thanksgiving: giving thanks is a gift for us. Taking the time to deliberately and purposefully thank God in spite of any number of reasons that make it hard re-orients our attitudes and our hearts. Giving thanks in the midst of trial is a kind of confession to God that recognizes his good and gracious love. More than that, it helps us remember God’s promises which transcend the situation. It’s terribly hard to thank God while dying, but if we believe and confess the promise of the resurrection in Jesus, we remember that death will not have the final victory. It is a struggle to thank God while feeling overwhelmed and struggling, but thanking God reminds us that his love for us as his children is more valuable than the short-lived trial before us.

At Hope we have plenty of hard work and challenges before us, but there is so much to be thankful for regardless. I am grateful for a congregation that has continued to serve faithfully, give of themselves in numerous ways, and hold onto each other through transition and change. I am grateful for a Staff and MLT who have stepped-up, worked early, late, and extra to make sure the church functions well and serves our people and community. Most of all, I am grateful that God preserves, lifts up, and builds up his people. Powerful, important, and valuable ministry is happening every day at Hope, and it is a privilege to get to witness and be a part of it.

My prayer for you today, is that in spite of the trial in your life, you can still confess through thanksgiving the goodness of God. With some reflection and thought, I’m certain you have many things worth thanking and praising God for. I hope by God’s Holy Spirit, you can see that clearer than ever before.

Thanking God for all of you,

Pastor Devin Murphy