A New View

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   The past few days have been rough for the Van Vlack clan. The best way I can describe it is that my wife and I got run over by the sick truck. On Friday, I was fully intending to preach on Sunday. I still had a fair amount of work to do on my sermon, but I had Saturday to work on it—or so I was thinking. Friday evening, I wasn't feeling well, and by Saturday, I was on the phone with one of my fellow elders, asking if he would mind preaching for me the next day. He's a retired pastor, so I knew he would have something in the archives that he could pull out on short notice. I spent the next few days wondering if technology existed for a head transplant, because I felt mine was about ready to go.

   Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Here we find three brief but powerful commands: rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Notice Paul says, "Rejoice always...." The concept of rejoicing reflects the celebration of a settled confidence in the sovereignty of God (my definition). At all times, we can celebrate the truth that God is in control. Next, he says, "...pray without ceasing...." Charles Spurgeon once said, "The prayer that is always in the heart is acceptable to God even when it is not always on the lips." John Wesley saw unceasing prayer as continuous awareness of God's presence. Finally, Paul writes, "In everything give thanks...." In every situation we find ourselves, we should give God thanks, because ultimately He is working His will in us and through us in those things. I have this Charles Spurgeon quote on the whiteboard in my office, "Anything is a blessing that makes us pray." If that is the case, then I can give thanks for whatever comes my way.

   Whether your days are filled with difficulties or delights, keep your eyes fixed on our Savior. Know that He is in control of whatever comes to pass. "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Even though we are a small church, I rejoice because the church is the Lord's, and He will provide for His sheep.