Because His Steadfast Love Endures Forever!

I saw a Muslim bumper sticker yesterday that read "Give thanks at all times, for this is the will of Allah." I thought two things right away: 'That's right, it's from the Bible,' and 'No, that's not it.'


1 Thessalonians 5:18 jumped into my mind: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." The saying was right, it is good to give thanks to God at all times. But it was missing something. "In Jesus Christ," just three words, makes all the difference.


What difference does God's will for us being "in Jesus Christ" make? His will through Jesus is that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord's will is to reconcile all things through Jesus' blood, to prepare a pure, spotless, blameless bride for the end of time (Colossians 1:20-22, Revelation 19). God Almighty's will in Jesus Christ is to forever display the depth, and breath, and power of his steadfast love to the nations. God's will for us in Jesus Christ is good news for us.


In the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, we are told many time to give thanks to God. Nearly every time we are given reasons, and most often we ought to give thanks to God because of his steadfast love. In the Old Testament the brightest witness to God's steadfast love is his patience and work for His chosen people. In the New Testament Jesus Christ shines brightest as a testimony to God's enduring love. In Jesus Christ we hear echoed the refrain of God's goodness that rings from the pages of Scripture.


The emphasis is no longer on our obedience, it is on God's provision. God will provide for you saint. He has proved himself faithful before, and declares in Jesus that His steadfast love is forever and ever. We give thanks to God the Father because He is faithful, and we hope in His faithfulness to give thanks at all times. The good news about God's will in Jesus is that it is a light burden. Jesus Christ bore it for us.


So yes, my Muslim friends, let's give thanks to God our Father. For even when life is miserable, when the pain is hard to bear, or when blessings abound, in all these circumstance God's steadfast love still endures—in Jesus Christ.