Giving Thanks When Life is at its Worst

It is easy to be thankful when life is good. We get a new job, fall in love, or fall into some unexpected good luck. It is more challenging giving thanks when things are difficult. Incorporating prayer every day and making it a habit invites thankfulness into your life.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that is surrounded by family, friends, food, and suffering. There is joy, celebration, reunion, and grief. The suffering and grief may be silent, but it is undoubtedly present. Thanksgiving is a time of refocusing on what we are most grateful for, but how do we celebrate it in the middle of a lament? How do we remain genuine in showing our gratefulness to God when this year Thanksgiving falls on a season of suffering for many believers around the world? The answer: we can be thankful like Job.

Job’s blameless life

What was Job’s life like before he was tested? Why did God choose him to test? Job lived a rich man’s life in the land of Uz. He feared God and people respected him. He followed all God’s laws and was careful to remain blameless. While God could find no blame in Job, we must remember that we cannot live a good enough life or follow enough rules, we must trust in God. God trusted Job’s faith so much that God allowed the enemy to essentially torture Job and make him lose everything to see how he would react toward God.

God’s tests on Job and how he reacted

Job 1-3 gives us a picture of what Job’s life was like and all the calamity that happened so very quickly. Job had seven sons and three daughters. He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yokes of oxen, and five hundred donkeys. Job also had servants and people highly respected him. His life was clearly blessed, but in one day, Job hears that his livestock, servants, and all of his children died. When Job heard this, he tore his clothes and shaved his head in mourning, but even then, Job remained faithful to God.

God allows Satan to test Job again. Next, Job is struck ill with sores. Even his wife tells Job to curse (or bless – there is some disagreement here) God. Job refuses and remains true to God.

When three friends come to visit, they offer advice on why this must have happened. Job must not be so blameless. His children must have done wrong to deserve their deaths. Job is angry and calls them “worthless physicians.”

After a period of days, we see Job’s lament in Job 3. Job begins to question God. He curses his life and wishes he was never born. Then he shows anger that God lets wicked people prosper while the good suffer. Also, he wishes he could speak with God and ask why he has been cursed.

I can only imagine that what it would have been like to be Job in that moment. I expect that we would react in a way that is at best the way Job responded and at worst by cursing God for allowing this all to happen. How on earth can we be thankful and remain strong in our faith with this much loss and calamity? Well, if we keep following Job’s story, he gives us a great example.

Let’s take a look this morning at how God responds to Job in chapter 38:

Job 38:1–7 NIV

1 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

How Job’s faith and thankfulness regained God’s favor

God thunders from above and demands that Job be brave and respond to his questions. Imagine the types of questions that God is demanding an answer from Job:

vs 4

vs 5

if we go on in chapter 38 we see questions like:

vs 8-11

vs12-15

And there are many more in the verses that follow. I can’t imagine being in that moment with God, but I often wonder how often God wants to ask us these questions? When we are so frustrated and angry with God - even though we haven’t experienced half of what Job went through.

Job 42:1–3 NIV

1 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

After doubting it is him, Job acknowledges God’s power and knowledge. God is pleased but is angry at Job’s friends for philosophizing and speaking out of turn. Their advice is unsound and not based on good theology. Job asks God for their forgiveness, and God agrees.

Job is made healthy again and given twice as much property as before. He is also blessed with new children and long life.

At this point, we would assume Job would praise God and be thankful, but Job’s praise and thankfulness come long before God rewards him for his faith. After losing everything Job shaved his head and fell to the ground in worship. Over and over, during the worst of times, Job continued to praise God and honor him for his life.

Job’s story encourages our faithfulness and thankfulness during times of strife and pain. We must praise God for the gifts he gives and the trials he puts us through, even though it is hard. His knowledge is vast and sometimes he is testing us to help us learn and grow. I’m not saying that everything we go through is a test of God, we do live in a fallen and broken world that has consequences all its own. However, what if we looked at all of these times of trial and did not focus on if it is a test from God but instead focus on how we can continue to give thanks to God and allow God to grow our faith through times of trial? How can we do that?

Here are some practical tips I think we can take on in our lives to get to a point of thankfulness to God

1.1 Start by saying thanks

Today’s prayers often start with what we want or need from God. We rarely thank him for the gifts he has given. Instead of leaving our thanks until last or not at all, start all your prayers with gratitude for the Lord’s gifts. I have found that it is quite amazing how my own prayer times have been enriched by starting with giving thanks to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Give thanks in all circumstances. We see here in these verses that thanksgiving should be a normal and regular part of our lives.

1.2 Have a conversation

One of David’s prayers comes to mind when we think about having a conversation with God.

Psalm 27:8 NIV

8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Do not let not knowing what to say keep you from incorporating prayer into your life. Speak with God like you would a friend. Invite him to your home and share your daily worries and questions.

1.3 Include prayer in your daily tasks

Romans 12:12 NIV

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

You do not have to wait until dinner or bedtime to say your daily prayers. Talk to God while you are waiting in line to pick up your child from school. Pray to God instead of spewing anger at unsafe drivers on the road. Live a prayerful life by including it whenever you can.

1.4 Do not hide what you feel

Matthew 6:5–8 NIV

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Talking to God like a friend means being honest about your feelings. He already knows what is in our hearts and the burdens we are carrying, but telling him honestly how we feel will help you focus your emotions and address issues we are having trouble dealing with ourselves. It is also a way to strengthen our relationship with God.

1.5 Let God Take Away Your Worries

Philippians 4:4–7 NIV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The next time you worry, ask God to take that worry. We are not alone anymore. Once we invite God into our lives, we no longer must struggle with worries ourselves.

COMMUNION

RITUAL

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.

By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

EXPLAIN ELEMENTS

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

CONCLUDING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.