Gratitude is the language of heaven. And it needs to be our language as Christians here and now.
We are to be forever grateful.
The Apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that we are to give thanks for everything… in anything “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 13, verse 15 says that we are to “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”
Thanksgiving is to be an identifying mark of the Christian.
And Romans 8:28 gives us the reason for our gratitude:
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
That’s a thanksgiving verse. Everything we believe hinges on the providence of God, the plan of God. Nothing in our lives happens by fate or chance or circumstance or blind luck, but by the divine hand of God’s providence.
Romans 8:28 affirms that we live with the utter eternal confidence that a good and loving God governs our lives. That we live with certainty and security all the days of our lives as followers of Jesus.
In just twenty-four words, Romans 8:28 provides the basis for our hope, optimism, and gratitude.
Romans chapter 8 is my favorite chapter in all of Scripture. It is all about life in Christ, in the Spirit. How we live in the power and the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.
The first ten verses talk about how the Holy Spirit reproduces the life of Christ in us, how we are set free from condemnation, and we now live in freedom in Christ. These verses tell us that we have a guaranteed future. So many people are living without hope today, but in Christ we are forever grateful for our eternal hope!
These verses go on to teach that the Holy Spirit leads us in all of our ways and assures us of eternal life and salvation. He sustains us during times of tribulation and trial; even serving as our prayer partner when we don’t know how to pray. The Holy Spirit is our inner prayer warrior.
And the result of all this great work of God’s Spirit in us – salvation, security, providence, prayer – is Romans 8:28. This isn’t just a Christian motto, it’s the true meaning of salvation. That we are eternally secure, that nothing – not one thing – happens apart from God’s governance and control.
This is why the Apostle Paul would say in this same Romans 8:31…
If God is for us, who can be against us?
And in Romans 8:37…
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
We don’t just win at the end with a field goal. We’re confident conquerors in our Lord Jesus Christ. We’re dominating in the power of God. So we don’t live with maybes!
We know Christ! He knows us! Nothing can separate us from His love and His grace.
There are no mistakes with God. Accidents are not accidental.
Notice that Paul says that we know all things are working together for good. It’s not most things, or some things. It’s all things.
That’s a big little word, “all.”
That includes every blessing, every good thing. But that’s the easy part, right?
I hope you’re grateful forever for every blessing – your family, your friends, the favor of God in your life. Count your many blessings. Our God is a good God! He’s so good that it makes me want to give my life back to Him and say, “Lord, I give you my life.”
So we give and we live our lives for Him, because all the good things, all the best things, all the blessed things come from the hand of a gracious God.
But it’s not only the best things and blessed things. God works in the bad things – and we are to be grateful in those as well. The trials, the troubles, the tears, the tribulations that come in our lives.
We can be forever grateful even for these, because as the psalmist said in Psalm 119:71…
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
How many times have we been taught the goodness and the grace of God through our tears?
No matter what you’re going through in your life right now, no matter what tough things, even tragic, terrible thing that you may be experiencing, Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible right where God put it!
And we know it’s true. We know it true because God is true to His word! All things! No exceptions! No exemptions.
Yes, all things! This is why God’s grace amazes us! Even in our hurts, our hang-ups, our habits, God’s grace and salvation is a greater force than anything going on in us or through us or around us.
Why? Because God is working together. He is working constructively, creatively, continually, and completely in our lives for His purposes, for our good, and His glory!
Therefore, trust Him and don’t try to take matters into your own hands. Wait on Him. Because remember, there are only two categories of events and circumstances that happen. Those things that God plans and those things that God permits.
And whether in His planning or in His permitting, it is all for His purpose.
So thank God today for this amazing, wonderful salvation. For your eternal security in Him, His powerful presence and His Spirit in your life. Thank you for His intercession, working in you.
Thank Him for all that He’s done and all that He’s doing and will do; that you are living in the confident hope and expectation that your future is with Him. That’s why we’re forever grateful.
