1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you.
In the classic autobiography, The Hiding Place, Corrie
ten Boom tells of her sufferings at the hands of the Nazis during the evil
reign of Adolph Hitler. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were incarcerated at the
Nazi concentration camp, Ravensbruck, and experienced terrible atrocities
there. On one occasion, they were forced to disrobe before the German soldiers.
In that awful, humiliating moment, an amazing discovery came to Corrie's mind: "They
took Jesus' clothes too. He hung naked for me." When she relayed that
wondrous thought to Betsie, she gasped and said, "Oh, Corrie, and I never
thanked Him for it."
One of the things that made Corrie and Betsie such
dynamic Christians was the fact that the chose to see life from God's
perspective. In the worst of situations, they found new insights to praise and
thank God.
The Bible tells us that we are to give thanks in
everything, the good things AND the bad things. In Psalm 50:23, God says,
"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me." In the hard
times, thanksgiving is difficult. It is definitely a sacrifice to thank God in
a Nazi concentration camp, but it is so very necessary. Thanksgiving honors
God, and when you and I honor God, He honors us.
Dear Lord, help us to always be thankful for everything
that comes our way in life. In the Name
of Jesus, Amen.
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