“Rejoice always…in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18

This passage is short, but it presents us with a major challenge.

Rejoice always. Do you rejoice always? I don’t. I am definitely working on it, though. Not long ago, the Holy Spirit communicated to me audibly in my sleep and said: “Rejoice continually, and you will overcome every situation.” I know it isn’t easy to do; in fact, it’s far from easy. But rejoicing in the midst of difficulty releases God’s power and enables us to overcome.

This leads us to the second part of the passage, which tells us to give thanks in everything. This means that we thank God not only before we have a steak dinner but in all situations. We must believe that when we’re walking through a difficult season, God is working something in us that can be obtained only by clinging to Him in the darkness. We must trust that even though the circumstance feels unpleasant, God is doing something good in us through it. When we know that, we can give Him thanks even in hard times.

If you’re in a difficult season, just stop for a second and say, “Father God, thank You for this season because I believe You’re doing something in me that I could not receive if things were easy.” The Bible says God causes all things—not just the good and pleasant experiences, but all things—to work together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose to conform us to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28–29).

God wants us to have enough faith in Him to thank Him always, regardless of what we’re going through in life. Why? Because we believe He’s good and He’s doing something good for us. As we do this, beloved, we’re going to go from depth to depth and from strength to strength. And when we get strong, we’ll be happy.

Father God, Your Word says Your will for me is to rejoice continually and always have a thankful spirit through Messiah Jesus. Father God, I confess that I have not always lived up to this. I thank You for understanding the battle I’m in against the enemy. But I realize this is no excuse. Father, strengthen me to live according to Your Spirit and Your Word.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Divine Truth (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2021), Used by permission.