Give Thanks IN All Circumstances

     As I was looking at my Facebook page the other day, I saw a link for a historical documentary entitled "Warriors of Honor".  Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson were the focus of this movie, and being a history buff, I decided to watch this.  It was the best decision I could have made as I was blessed watching this video.  Both men were Christians and loved the Lord with all their hearts.  Their faith in God played a big role in the way they treated their men during the Civil War and how they conducted themselves in their private lives.  I was so encouraged, and I learned some things I never knew.  So when I turned to my Scripture reading for today, the verse from I Thessalonians fairly leaped out at me.

General Robert E. Lee

   In his letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church (I Thessalonians 5:16):  "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  At first glance, we often think how difficult this is to do.  "Give thanks in all circumstances" can be a sticking point for any one of us especially if we have recently faced illness, loss or hardship.  Yet, upon closer look, we see in this verse an important word "in".  God does not ask us to give thanks "for" our circumstances but to give thanks "in" our circumstances.  Some of the things that happen to us in this life are devastating so it would be hard to be glad about them.  However, since our citizenship is not of this world, we can thank God in the hard places for He is certainly with us.  There were several examples from this documentary that proved this to be true.
     History records that a total of 620,000 men died in the Civil War.  During the battle of Gettysburg, alone, one-fourth of the Union forces and one-third of the Confederate forces were killed.  This was a mighty blow to the forces under the command of General Robert E. Lee.  Following this battle, Lee called for a day of fasting and prayer.  Every man observed this and spent time reading the Bible, praying and fasting.  As a result, nearly 15,000 men repented of their sins and gave their lives to Christ.  I had never heard this before either in my history classes or in books I had read about the Civil War.  15,000 souls were saved as a result of a day of fasting and prayer following a huge defeat.
Despite the circumstances, General Lee felt the call to put God first.
     Stonewall Jackson also found a way to give thanks to God in all circumstances as well.  In Virginia, his home state, it was illegal to teach African American slaves to read or write.  However, after services in his Lexington Presbyterian Church, Jackson offered a "special" Sunday school class for the African American slaves where he taught them how to read and write.  He was deeply concerned for their souls and shared the Gospel with them at every occasion.  Once again, I was surprised as I learned this for I had never heard this before.  General Jackson was breaking the law, but he felt it was important to teach these precious souls to be able to read the Bible for themselves.  Following the war, many of these freed slaves went on to lead successful lives as a result of his tutoring.
     Circumstances can change in a heartbeat, but we can remain steady if our first priority is giving thanks to God in all things....not necessarily for what is happening but for what He will accomplish in our lives.  History is really "His" story as is evident from watching this documentary which I commend to you.  God uses all things to work together for His good and glory.  Let us remember this when we are faced with difficult circumstances and give Him the thanks for His provision.  Selah!


P.S.  The movie "Warriors of Honor" can be watched through Amazon Prime (if you are a member) for free.  It is definitely worth the time to see this.