by James H. Pence

I go into prisons frequently to do chalk art, and I almost never get through a service without hearing the inmates proclaim God’s goodness. It usually goes like this:

One inmate will call out, “God is good!”

The others will reply in unison, “All the time.”

Then the first inmate will say, “All the time.”

And the rest of them will reply, “God is good!”

I never cease to be amazed at this vocal expression of thanksgiving by groups of men and women who, by and large, don’t have a whole lot to be thankful for.

This week, many families will gather together to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Undoubtedly, in some of those households, time will be set aside for expressing thanks for God’s blessings over the past year. Family members will reflect on the good things that have happened. There will be statements such as:

“I’m thankful for our family.”

“I’m thankful I have a job.”

“We’re thankful for good health.”

And so on.

There will be many other people this week who will give thanks through tear-filled eyes.

Families who have lost loved ones.

People who have no jobs or houses.

People who are facing terminal illnesses, their own or that of a loved one.

It’s easy to give thanks when things are going well, but the real evidence of a thankful heart is when you can give thanks when things are not going well at all. The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church,  “Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” (I Thess. 5:16-18, NIV).

What I find most striking in those three verses is that Paul tells us that it is God’s will for us to give thanks in all circumstances.

In other words, thanksgiving is not optional. It’s not something to do only when we feel good or when we have been particularly blessed.

We are called to give thanks in all circumstances: good, bad, and in between.

Why?

Because that kind of thanksgiving expresses a confidence in both the sovereignty and the goodness of God in the events of our lives. It is an affirmation of what Paul says in Romans chapter eight: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).

In a few days, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving.

As we all gather around the table, let’s take time to thank God for the abundance of blessings He has poured out on us.

But let us also remember that,

God is good, all the time.

All the time, God is good.