Thankful in the Valley: Finding Gratitude When It Hurts

Bible Passages: Romans 8:28 “28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” ; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The Grateful Perspective Lesson

In the fable "The Boy Who Complained About Everything," young Thomas woke up in a grumpy mood and began complaining about everything in sight. First his toothbrush—which promptly disappeared. Then his cold, sticky porridge—which vanished too. When his friend Gordon wanted to play fishing instead of tag, Thomas groaned and complained—and Gordon disappeared as well.kidsofintegrity​

By lunchtime, Thomas complained about his mother not having lunch ready, and she vanished. He grumbled that food was stored too high and the fridge had no fun food—so all the cupboards and fridge became empty. When he complained about reaching the faucet, it disappeared too.kidsofintegrity​

The story illustrates what children observe: that complaining makes good things disappear. From a child's perspective, when parents grumble constantly, the joy, peace, and good things in family life do actually vanish—replaced by tension, negativity, and unhappiness.

Introduction: The Tyranny of Our Grumbling

When storms gather and valleys deepen, the human heart instinctively reaches for complaint. We become connoisseurs of catastrophe, curators of complaint, architects of anxiety. Yet Scripture thunders a counter-cultural command: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).[1]

Consider the paradox: those who possess most are often least grateful, while those who have least overflow with thanksgiving. This "gratitude paradox" exposes the rottenness of our grumbling hearts. We must inspect our complaints as customs agents inspect contraband—for grumbling smuggles poison into our souls.[2]

Charles Spurgeon declared, "I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages". But have we? Or do we curse the wave, rail against the wind, and shake our fists at heaven?[3]

The Big Idea: Even when life is painful, we can choose to be thankful, trusting that God is working for our good and His glory.

I. TRUST HIS PURPOSE IN YOUR PAIN (Romans 8:28)

A. The Farmer's Wisdom: Good or Bad? Who Knows?

There exists an ancient Chinese parable that has echoed through centuries. A farmer's horse escaped—disaster! Yet the horse returned with wild stallions—fortune! His son broke his leg taming one—calamity! But when the emperor drafted soldiers for war, the injured son remained home while others perished—blessing![4][5][6]

After each reversal, neighbors rushed to judge: "How terrible!" or "How wonderful!" The farmer's response never wavered: "Maybe. Who knows?"[5][4]

Herein lies divine wisdom: we are wretched judges of our circumstances. What we curse today may be the mercy that saves us tomorrow. What we celebrate may contain seeds of sorrow. But Romans 8:28 elevates us beyond the farmer's agnosticism to bold confidence: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him".[3]

B. God's Alchemy: Turning Crucibles into Crowns

Adrian Rogers thundered, "Even what the devil means for harm, God bends for the ultimate good". God is the supreme alchemist, transforming the lead of suffering into the gold of glory.[3]

Consider Paul's testimony: "We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life... so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God". The very weight that crushed Paul's self-reliance became the crucible that refined his faith.[7][8]

Modern Witness: A cancer patient named Barbara declared upon receiving her diagnosis: "I'm not afraid! God is in control!" Though some mistook her confidence for toxic positivity, she demonstrated that gratitude doesn't deny pain—it transcends it. When she emerged cancer-free months later, her testimony rang clear: God is faithful even when we walk through fire.[9]

Persecuted Believers:

Over many years and miles, God has woven lives together for His glory among the Wassulu people in West Africa. Pastor Paul, of Wassulu ancestry, left Islam to follow Jesus and has shared the gospel among the Wassulu since the 1990s. In the village of Dalton, where Paul visited and preached, persecution had once been particularly intense. In prior years, a believer survived attempts on his life and fl ed due to the pressure from village elders. However, the believer’s brother, Adam, and Adam’s wife, Margo, later became followers of Christ. Adam became the fi rst baptized believer in Dalton. He and Margo suffered persecution yet clung to Jesus. “I know Jesus is the truth, and I will die on this path,” Adam once said. Adam remained faithful to Jesus until he succumbed to health issues in April 2024. Upon his death, Dalton villagers refused to prepare Adam’s body, but Christian men from nearby villages ensured a burial and Christian service that honored Adam’s life. The day after Adam’s funeral, older men from Dalton gathered to hear Paul answer questions about the Christian faith and the hope in which Adam had died. Margo, now a widow, remains strong in her faith despite often standing alone. Her non-believing neighbors are treating her well, an answer to prayer.

His suffering along with Christians travelnig to care for his widown and his funeral became the very platform for the gospel.[10]

C. The Tapestry Truth

Tony Evans offers this image: a tapestry viewed from behind reveals only knots, tangles, and chaos. But turn it around, and a magnificent design emerges. We live on the wrong side of the tapestry, seeing only the knotted threads of suffering. But God sees—and weaves—the masterpiece.[3]

Application: Stop demanding God explain the knots. Trust the Weaver. Your valley has purpose, even if you cannot yet perceive it.

II. PERSIST THROUGH JOY AND PRAYER (1 Thessalonians 5:16–17)

A. Rejoice Always: The Absurd Command

"Rejoice always". Has there ever been a more preposterous command? Rejoice in cancer wards? Rejoice at gravesides? Rejoice when bankruptcy looms?[1]

Yes.

Charles Stanley counsels, "Our circumstances change. God does not". Joy is not the giddy cousin of happiness, dependent on happenings. Joy is the deep-rooted tree that survives the hurricane because its roots plunge into the eternal character of God.[3]

Alistair Begg puts it thus: "Joy is the melody; pain is the harmony. Together, they produce a song the world needs to hear".[3]

B. The Prayer of Paradoxical Gratitude

Here is where imaginative gratitude transforms complaint into worship. A missionary once prayed: "Lord, I'm thankful for a stomach that feels hunger because I've known fullness. I pray for those who do not know a full meal".[11][12]

What radical reframing! He didn't deny hunger's pain—he transformed it into intercession. His empty stomach became an altar of thanksgiving.

Consider this pattern:

· "I'm grateful for tears, for they prove I've known laughter"

· "I thank You for loneliness, for it teaches me to treasure companionship"

· "I praise You for this broken bone, for it reminds me You've given me strength"

· "I thank You for the bill I cannot pay, for it shows I've known provision"

Scripture Witness: Paul testified, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want". Notice: Paul learned contentment in hunger because he had known plenty. His gratitude was born from contrast, not ignorance.[13]

C. Pray Continually: The Breathing of Faith

Chuck Swindoll declares, "Prayer is the hand that turns the key for grateful living". Prayer is not merely speaking to God; it is breathing in His presence. You don't stop breathing when circumstances darken—you breathe harder, deeper, more desperately.[3]

Francis Chan reminds us: "Prayer realigns our perspective—draws us up above the struggle".[3]

A cancer survivor shared this testimony: "My brother requested we pray not that he'd be healed, but that he'd want Jesus more than healing". That prayer didn't expire with remission. Now he prays to want Jesus more than the assurance of no recurrence, more than a return to normalcy, more than relief from pain, more than a long life.[14]

Application: Make gratitude your default prayer language. When anxiety whispers, respond with thanksgiving. When fear knocks, answer with praise. Breathe gratitude like oxygen.

III. CHOOSE TO BE THANKFUL (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

A. Thanksgiving as Warfare, Not Weakness

"Give thanks in all circumstances"—not for all circumstances, but in them. This distinction matters profoundly.[15][1]

God doesn't demand we thank Him for cancer, for betrayal, for loss. That would be theological masochism. Rather, we thank Him inthese valleys—for His presence, His promises, His purposes.[16][15]

Greg Laurie explains: "Thankfulness is an act of faith; it's putting the pen of your story in God's hand".[3]

Consider this powerful testimony: When a mother's daughter converted to Islam, she faced a divided family. At dinner, she and her husband stopped praying grace to avoid offense. But guilt gnawed. Finally, they whispered, "Bless this food, O Lord, that we are about to receive. In Jesus' name I pray." The daughter looked up but said nothing. The parents smiled, knowing they'd opened a door and God would open more. Their choice to give thanks despite the painful circumstance became a witness.[17]

Patricia Raybon shared in IN TOUCH this year:

Even in the middle of a difficult family situation—My husband and I struggled and argued with our daughter about leaving Jesus. Then we felt shame for a time, not even praying before meals when she or her family were present. Then instead of arguing, we were sharing a meal in their Muslim daughter’s home and feeling divided about how or if to give thanks—God gave them a gentle reminder. Instead of forcing the issue or causing arguments, they chose to show love, quietly give thanks in their hearts, and trust God with the situation offering a simply prayer to the Lord after their son-in-law prayed. Ultimately, they found that always giving thanks, even in strained circumstances, is an act of faith. It invites God to work and keeps love at the center, no matter how divided a family might feel.

B. Inspecting the Rot of Grumbling

The Cheryl Lutz Emergency

When Cheryl Lutz's daughter nearly died from complications following outpatient surgery, she felt herself "slipping into that pit of depression because of all the outward circumstances whirling around." But then she remembered Dr. Michelle Bengtson's words about showing gratitude for blessings even in difficulties.drmichellebengtson​

Her grumbling was confronted by choosing thanksgiving:

Gratitude for the stranger in Panera who helped catch her daughter as she started to pass out, revealing there was a problem

Gratitude for the rude ER doctor with zero bedside manner who insisted on doing a CT scan that showed internal bleeding and basically saved her daughter's life

Gratitude even for locking her keys, cell phone, and purse in the car, forcing her to rely on strangers drmichellebengtson​

This conscious choice to find reasons for thanksgiving in the midst of crisis transformed her perspective and pulled her out of despair.

The Science Behind the Transformation

These stories aren't just anecdotal—they're supported by neuroscience. When we feel gratitude, our brains release dopamine and serotonin, crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions that make us feel good and happy from the inside. Studies show that grateful people have reduced levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), better cardiac functioning, and greater resilience when facing emotional setbacks.news.fiu​

As one psychology expert notes, "Gratitude literally changes your biochemistry"—it rewires the brain, helps communication in neurological pathways, and has been linked to improved sleep, relationship health, and mood regulation. There are no negative side effects of feeling gratitude, only positive aspects.news.fiu​

Let us conduct a holy inspection of our complaints. Grumbling is spiritual gangrene—it spreads, it rots, it kills.[18]

Are you grumbling about:

· Your health? There are millions who'd trade places with you instantly

· Your finances? Billions live on less than $2 per day

· Your relationships? Countless souls endure crushing loneliness

· Your inconveniences? The persecuted Church suffers for the name of Christ

Witticism: We grumble about restaurant service while persecuted believers thank God for stale bread smuggled into prison. We complain about traffic while refugees walk hundreds of miles. We moan about our jobs while the unemployed beg for work. hOW ABOUT TURNING WHAT OTHERS GRUMBLE ABOUT INTO PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO WALK WITH jESUS IN DIFFICULTIES. LORD GIVE LAUGHTER TO THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN. PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY.

Charles Lawson thunders, "Gratitude is the key that unlocks spiritual resilience". Conversely, grumbling is the key that locks us in spiritual poverty, even amidst material plenty.[3]

C. The Discipline of Daily Thanksgiving

David Jeremiah teaches that gratitude is muscle that must be exercised. Here are practical battle orders:[3]

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal – Record three specific thanksgivings daily, no matter how small

2. Practice Contrasting Gratitude – "I'm thankful for this struggle because I've known ease"

3. Intercede Through Your Pain – Transform complaints into prayers for those suffering worse

4. Rehearse Past Faithfulness – When present seems dark, remember how God delivered before

5. Declare Truth Over Feelings – "I don't feelgrateful, but I choose gratitude by faith"

Modern Media Connections:

· "War Room" (film): Demonstrates how seasons of pain bring greater faith and dependence on God[3]

· "Facing the Giants" (film): Shows thankfulness and faith flourishing in struggle[3]

· "The Hiding Place" (book/film): Corrie ten Boom's story of finding gratitude in a Nazi concentration camp—even thanking God for the fleas in her barracks because they kept guards away, allowing secret Bible studies[3]

IV. HOW THIS PASSAGE POINTS TO CHRIST

Our Lord Jesus is both the model and power source for gratitude in suffering.

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus took bread and "gave thanks" before instituting the Lord's Supper. Hours before crucifixion, facing the full horror of God's wrath, He gave thanks.[19]

David Jeremiah declares: "Christ is both the answer and companion in our suffering; gratitude, then, is rooted in the gospel".[3]

In Christ, we see:

· The ultimate "good" of Romans 8:28 – God worked the greatest evil (deicide) for the greatest good (redemption)

· The persistence of prayer – Jesus prayed through Gethsemane's agony

· The choice to thank God – "For the joy set before him he endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2), finding reason for thanks even in torture

One suffering believer testified: "God is with us, not beyond us, in suffering. God doesn't stand aloof—He entered our pain through Christ. When I cried out in cancer treatment, I remembered Jesus crying out, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' He felt human destitution to its absolute degree".[20]

V. CONCLUSION: The Valley Voice

The voice that emerges from the valley carries authority that mountaintop praise never possesses. When Paul sang hymns in the Philippian jail at midnight, his wounds still bleeding, the jailer and his household came to Christ. Why? Because gratitude in agony is supernatural—it can only be explained by the resurrection power of Jesus.[19]

Charles Spurgeon: "To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust Him in the dark—that is faith".[3]

So I issue this clarion call:

Inspect your grumbling. Root it out like cancer. Confess it as sin.

Choose gratitude as warfare. Every thanksgiving is a declaration that God still reigns, still loves, still works.

Remember the Chinese farmer: You cannot judge today's circumstances accurately. What feels like disaster may be God's disguised mercy. Say with Job: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

Let gratitude be the lens through which we see every valley. For when the valley is deepest, the light of God's goodness shines brightest. And when the world hears thanksgiving echo from the pit, they encounter the inescapable reality of resurrection power.

FINAL CHARGE

· Pray daily: "Lord, give me eyes to see reasons for gratitude even in this pain"

· Read stories of persecuted believers who thank God despite losing everything

· Watch: "War Room," "Facing the Giants," "The Hiding Place"

· Memorize: Romans 8:28 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

· Practice contrasting gratitude: "I'm thankful for hunger because I've known fullness"

May God grant you the supernatural grace to be thankful in the valley, knowing He is working all things—even this crushing trial—for your good and His eternal glory.

Amen.

Introduction: The Tyranny of Our Grumbling

When storms gather and valleys deepen, the human heart instinctively reaches for complaint. We become connoisseurs of catastrophe, curators of complaint, architects of anxiety. Yet Scripture thunders a counter-cultural command: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).[1]

Consider the paradox: those who possess most are often least grateful, while those who have least overflow with thanksgiving. This "gratitude paradox" exposes the rottenness of our grumbling hearts. We must inspect our complaints as customs agents inspect contraband—for grumbling smuggles poison into our souls.[2]

Charles Spurgeon declared, "I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages". But have we? Or do we curse the wave, rail against the wind, and shake our fists at heaven?[3]

The Big Idea: Even when life is painful, we can choose to be thankful, trusting that God is working for our good and His glory.

I. PURPOSE IN OUR PAIN (Romans 8:28)

A. The Farmer's Wisdom: Good or Bad? Who Knows?

There exists an ancient Chinese parable that has echoed through centuries. A farmer's horse escaped—disaster! Yet the horse returned with wild stallions—fortune! His son broke his leg taming one—calamity! But when the emperor drafted soldiers for war, the injured son remained home while others perished—blessing![4][5][6]

After each reversal, neighbors rushed to judge: "How terrible!" or "How wonderful!" The farmer's response never wavered: "Maybe. Who knows?"[5][4]

Herein lies divine wisdom: we are wretched judges of our circumstances. What we curse today may be the mercy that saves us tomorrow. What we celebrate may contain seeds of sorrow. But Romans 8:28 elevates us beyond the farmer's agnosticism to bold confidence: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him".[3]

B. God's Alchemy: Turning Crucibles into Crowns

Adrian Rogers thundered, "Even what the devil means for harm, God bends for the ultimate good". God is the supreme alchemist, transforming the lead of suffering into the gold of glory.[3]

Consider Paul's testimony: "We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life... so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God". The very weight that crushed Paul's self-reliance became the crucible that refined his faith.[7][8]

Modern Witness: A cancer patient named Barbara declared upon receiving her diagnosis: "I'm not afraid! God is in control!" Though some mistook her confidence for toxic positivity, she demonstrated that gratitude doesn't deny pain—it transcends it. When she emerged cancer-free months later, her testimony rang clear: God is faithful even when we walk through fire.[9]

Persecuted Believers: Among the Wassulu people of West Africa, Adam faced intense persecution after leaving Islam for Christ. Village elders attempted his life. Yet he declared, "I know Jesus is the truth, and I will die on this path". When Adam died in 2024, his widow Margo stood strong in faith, and village elders gathered to hear about the Christian hope in which Adam had died. His suffering became the very platform for the gospel.[10]

C. The Tapestry Truth

Tony Evans offers this image: a tapestry viewed from behind reveals only knots, tangles, and chaos. But turn it around, and a magnificent design emerges. We live on the wrong side of the tapestry, seeing only the knotted threads of suffering. But God sees—and weaves—the masterpiece.[3]

Application: Stop demanding God explain the knots. Trust the Weaver. Your valley has purpose, even if you cannot yet perceive it.

II. PERSISTENT JOY AND PRAYER (1 Thessalonians 5:16–17)

A. Rejoice Always: The Absurd Command

"Rejoice always". Has there ever been a more preposterous command? Rejoice in cancer wards? Rejoice at gravesides? Rejoice when bankruptcy looms?[1]

Yes.

Charles Stanley counsels, "Our circumstances change. God does not". Joy is not the giddy cousin of happiness, dependent on happenings. Joy is the deep-rooted tree that survives the hurricane because its roots plunge into the eternal character of God.[3]

Alistair Begg puts it thus: "Joy is the melody; pain is the harmony. Together, they produce a song the world needs to hear".[3]

B. The Prayer of Paradoxical Gratitude

Here is where imaginative gratitude transforms complaint into worship. A missionary once prayed: "Lord, I'm thankful for a stomach that feels hunger because I've known fullness. I pray for those who do not know a full meal".[11][12]

What radical reframing! He didn't deny hunger's pain—he transformed it into intercession. His empty stomach became an altar of thanksgiving.

Consider this pattern:

• "I'm grateful for tears, for they prove I've known laughter"

• "I thank You for loneliness, for it teaches me to treasure companionship"

• "I praise You for this broken bone, for it reminds me You've given me strength"

• "I thank You for the bill I cannot pay, for it shows I've known provision"

Scripture Witness: Paul testified, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want". Notice: Paul learned contentment in hunger because he had known plenty. His gratitude was born from contrast, not ignorance.[13]

C. Pray Continually: The Breathing of Faith

Chuck Swindoll declares, "Prayer is the hand that turns the key for grateful living". Prayer is not merely speaking to God; it is breathing in His presence. You don't stop breathing when circumstances darken—you breathe harder, deeper, more desperately.[3]

Francis Chan reminds us: "Prayer realigns our perspective—draws us up above the struggle".[3]

A cancer survivor shared this testimony: "My brother requested we pray not that he'd be healed, but that he'd want Jesus more than healing". That prayer didn't expire with remission. Now he prays to want Jesus more than the assurance of no recurrence, more than a return to normalcy, more than relief from pain, more than a long life.[14]

Application: Make gratitude your default prayer language. When anxiety whispers, respond with thanksgiving. When fear knocks, answer with praise. Breathe gratitude like oxygen.

III. CHOOSE TO BE THANKFUL (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

A. Thanksgiving as Warfare, Not Weakness

"Give thanks in all circumstances"—not for all circumstances, but in them. This distinction matters profoundly.[15][1]

God doesn't demand we thank Him for cancer, for betrayal, for loss. That would be theological masochism. Rather, we thank Him in these valleys—for His presence, His promises, His purposes.[16][15]

Greg Laurie explains: "Thankfulness is an act of faith; it's putting the pen of your story in God's hand".[3]

Consider this powerful testimony: When a mother's daughter converted to Islam, she faced a divided family. At dinner, she and her husband stopped praying grace to avoid offense. But guilt gnawed. Finally, they whispered, "Bless this food, O Lord, that we are about to receive. In Jesus' name I pray." The daughter looked up but said nothing. The parents smiled, knowing they'd opened a door and God would open more. Their choice to give thanks despite the painful circumstance became a witness.[17]

B. Inspecting the Rot of Grumbling

Let us conduct a holy inspection of our complaints. Grumbling is spiritual gangrene—it spreads, it rots, it kills.[18]

Are you grumbling about:

• Your health? There are millions who'd trade places with you instantly

• Your finances? Billions live on less than $2 per day

• Your relationships? Countless souls endure crushing loneliness

• Your inconveniences? The persecuted Church suffers for the name of Christ

Witticism: We grumble about restaurant service while persecuted believers thank God for stale bread smuggled into prison. We complain about traffic while refugees walk hundreds of miles. We moan about our jobs while the unemployed beg for work.

Charles Lawson thunders, "Gratitude is the key that unlocks spiritual resilience". Conversely, grumbling is the key that locks us in spiritual poverty, even amidst material plenty.[3]

C. The Discipline of Daily Thanksgiving

David Jeremiah teaches that gratitude is muscle that must be exercised. Here are practical battle orders:[3]

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal – Record three specific thanksgivings daily, no matter how small

2. Practice Contrasting Gratitude – "I'm thankful for this struggle because I've known ease"

3. Intercede Through Your Pain – Transform complaints into prayers for those suffering worse

4. Rehearse Past Faithfulness – When present seems dark, remember how God delivered before

5. Declare Truth Over Feelings – "I don't feel grateful, but I choose gratitude by faith"

Modern Media Connections:

• "War Room" (film): Demonstrates how seasons of pain bring greater faith and dependence on God[3]

• "Facing the Giants" (film): Shows thankfulness and faith flourishing in struggle[3]

• "The Hiding Place" (book/film): Corrie ten Boom's story of finding gratitude in a Nazi concentration camp—even thanking God for the fleas in her barracks because they kept guards away, allowing secret Bible studies[3]

IV. HOW THIS PASSAGE POINTS TO CHRIST

Our Lord Jesus is both the model and power source for gratitude in suffering.

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus took bread and "gave thanks" before instituting the Lord's Supper. Hours before crucifixion, facing the full horror of God's wrath, He gave thanks.[19]

David Jeremiah declares: "Christ is both the answer and companion in our suffering; gratitude, then, is rooted in the gospel".[3]

In Christ, we see:

• The ultimate "good" of Romans 8:28 – God worked the greatest evil (deicide) for the greatest good (redemption)

• The persistence of prayer – Jesus prayed through Gethsemane's agony

• The choice to thank God – "For the joy set before him he endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2), finding reason for thanks even in torture

One suffering believer testified: "God is with us, not beyond us, in suffering. God doesn't stand aloof—He entered our pain through Christ. When I cried out in cancer treatment, I remembered Jesus crying out, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' He felt human destitution to its absolute degree".[20]

V. CONCLUSION: The Valley Voice

The voice that emerges from the valley carries authority that mountaintop praise never possesses. When Paul sang hymns in the Philippian jail at midnight, his wounds still bleeding, the jailer and his household came to Christ. Why? Because gratitude in agony is supernatural—it can only be explained by the resurrection power of Jesus.[19]

Charles Spurgeon: "To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust Him in the dark—that is faith".[3]

So I issue this clarion call:

Inspect your grumbling. Root it out like cancer. Confess it as sin.

Choose gratitude as warfare. Every thanksgiving is a declaration that God still reigns, still loves, still works.

Remember the Chinese farmer: You cannot judge today's circumstances accurately. What feels like disaster may be God's disguised mercy. Say with Job: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

Let gratitude be the lens through which we see every valley. For when the valley is deepest, the light of God's goodness shines brightest. And when the world hears thanksgiving echo from the pit, they encounter the inescapable reality of resurrection power.

FINAL CHARGE

• Pray daily: "Lord, give me eyes to see reasons for gratitude even in this pain"

• Read stories of persecuted believers who thank God despite losing everything

• Watch: "War Room," "Facing the Giants," "The Hiding Place"

• Memorize: Romans 8:28 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

• Practice contrasting gratitude: "I'm thankful for hunger because I've known fullness"

May God grant you the supernatural grace to be thankful in the valley, knowing He is working all things—even this crushing trial—for your good and His eternal glory.

Amen.

Thankful in the Valley: Finding Gratitude When It Hurts

Bible Passage: Romans 8:28, 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

Summary: These passages remind us that God works all things for good and instruct us to give thanks in all circumstances, challenging us to find gratitude even during painful times.

Application: This sermon can encourage Christians and others to trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness during difficult periods in their lives, fostering a perspective that sees the spiritual growth and purpose behind suffering.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that gratitude is not merely a feeling but a choice to recognize God's hand in every situation, and emphasizes the importance of prayer and thanksgiving as tools for spiritual resilience.

How this passage could point to Christ: In Christ, we see God’s ultimate purpose for good, as He suffered and overcame to bring redemption; our gratitude reflects our trust in Him, even in trials.

Big Idea: Even when life is painful, we can choose to be thankful, trusting that God is working for our good and His glory.

Recommended Study: I suggest diving into commentaries on Romans 8 using your Logos library to unpack the concept of God's sovereignty in suffering. Also, examining the cultural context of 1 Thessalonians could provide insight into how the early church understood suffering and gratitude, which can strengthen your application of these verses.

1. Purpose in Our Pain

Romans 8:28

You could emphasize the reassurance in Romans 8:28 that God works all things for the good of those who love Him. By highlighting God’s sovereignty, encourage believers to find peace, knowing that even their struggles serve a greater purpose in His plan. This perspective can open pathways to gratitude and help them remain faithful and hopeful during tough times.

2. Persistent Joy and Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Perhaps focus on how 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 calls us to rejoice and pray continually. Instruct the congregation that part of being thankful involves maintaining a joyful spirit through prayer, acknowledging that our joy doesn’t depend on circumstances but on our constant communication with and reliance on God.

3. Choose to Be Thankful

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Maybe tackle the direct command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to give thanks in all circumstances. Explain that gratitude is a deliberate choice that reflects trust in God's will. Encourage the audience to adopt a posture of thankfulness that sees beyond current hardships to the eternal hope we have in Christ.