A few weeks ago I had a restless night’s sleep, you know the nights where you’re so tired all you want to do is sleep but sleep evades you.
I haven’t had one of those nights in awhile but that night I did & the reason became clear in the early hours of the morning…
But before we continue, let’s grab our cuppa’s & get comfy.
Today it’s very cold here on the east coast of Australia, so I’m sitting in the Sun that’s shining through the glass doors of my dining room overlooking our winter garden, with a mug of hot coffee & a toasted slice of my homebaked gf Carrot & Coconut loaf…delicious!
Restlessness
Have you found that when we become restless we don’t enter that peaceful state of rest?
There can be many reasons for feeling restless, it may be because we’re in pain or it may be that our Cortisol levels, a neurological chemical in our brain is out of balance (explained Here) or it may be because we’re concerned about something.
But what if it’s none of the above?
What if it’s actually God trying to get our attention in the quiet stillness of the night when all daily distractions are gone?
And that was the case that night, so I got out of bed, normally I would read for awhile in our living room with a hot LF milk then return back to bed.
But this time I felt to turn the TV on with the volume low, so as not to disturb hubby sleeping in the other room.
A well known preacher appeared on the screen & was giving a message from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18;
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
The message was about what happens when we give thanks to God & what it releases.
Now, most of us come to God in prayer with a daily list for family & friends, don’t we? And many of us remember to give thanks & praise when we get answers to those prayers.
But it’s a little harder to remember to give thanks in all circumstances…don’t you agree?
When we have good times we find it much easier to give thanks to the Lord then when we are having difficult times…don’t we?
So why does God want us to do this when some circumstances are clearly not what we are thankful for?
Well this is the interesting part, when we look to give thanks it shifts our focus off the negative aspects of our circumstances onto the blessings of what God is actually doing in the circumstances.
In other words when we give thanks, we look to what we can give thanks for which shifts our focus off our difficult circumstances & we’re able to focus on God’s love & grace being displayed within those cirumstances.
Giving thanks in Challenging Times
I can give you a personal example to demonstate this, when I’m experiencing a flare with Fibromyalgia the chronic pain intensifies ten fold, the Brain Malaise aka fibrofog (explained Here) increases & the fatigue seems insurmountable.
Now you may ask; who on earth would want to give thanks for that?
And that’s a fair question!
But if I look at who is carrying me in those challenging times, Jesus Himself, through His Holy Spirit, then indeed I can give thanks & praise in my circumstances.
“…for He has said, “I WILL NEVER under any circumstances DESERT YOU
nor give you up nor leave you without support,
nor will I in any degree leave you helpless,
NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN
or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU
Assuredly not!”
Hebrews 13:5 AMP
Now I had not realised that I hadn’t been giving thanks to God lately…something I had always been in the habit of doing!
So I was truly thankful that the Holy Spirit had brought this to my attention in the early hours of that morning.
Then & there I gave thanks to my Heavenly Father for all the support He is giving me at this time, through my wonderful, gentle & loving husband who is a true blessing, through precious fellowship with beautiful prayer partners, through a loving family & encouraging friends.
You see 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 does not say give thanks for the circumstances we’re facing but give thanks in all circumstances.
And that makes a huge difference my friend!
The Release
You’ll be pleased to know I went back to bed experiencing a very sweet & refreshing sleep for the rest of the night.
Thankfulness releases an acknowledgement that God is with us in our circumstances & in that there is no need for any restlessness.
Releasing His peace into our circumstances, that surpasses all earthly understanding.
So my friend…
When is the last time you gave thanks to God in your circumstances?
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re also most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or in Prayer
© 2023 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com
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With fibro, I can be so tired then when I go to bed I’m wide awake. But yes, I have restless nights and I have found for me it’s like you said>>”What if it’s actually God trying to get our attention in the quiet stillness of the night when all daily distractions are gone?” My head won’t shut off, I bop to Jesus songs in my head and sometimes he touches me with a message. Then I make a note on my phone so I don’t forget to write a post about it.
Thanks so much for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month.
You’re most welcome Paula! I like that you bop to Jesus songs when you can’t sleep 😊
When the weather here goes above 85 degrees, I start yearning for winter – and we’re heading into the 90s this week. Thank you for the reminder to be thankful – in the hot and the hard! It’s a timely reminder for me!
You’re most welcome Maryleigh. It’s funny isn’t it that when we are in the depths of one season we yearn for the next one.
We are experiencing the coldest temps here on the East Coast of Australia for decades & I’m yearning for warmer Spring days.
Lovely having you drop by today my friend 😊
Great reminder my sweet friend! Giving thanks in all things!
Thank you Donna 😊
Jennifer, this is such a great reminder. I have found that, when I give thanks to God, especially in the middle of difficult circumstances, He gives my heart peace. When we do this, we choose to shift our perspective from the situation to the Strengthener of our spirits.
Thank you Jeanne, He indeed is the Strengthener of our spirits. 😊
This is a great reminder of the importance of giving thanks. It reminds me of the story Corrie Ten Boom tells in her book “The Hiding Place”. Corrie and her sister, Betsy, were in a concentration camp, crammed with lots of other women into a room that was full of fleas. Betsy insisted on giving thanks to God despite their circumstances, while Corrie struggled. Later she learned that the fleas were the reason the guards avoided their room, which gave the two sisters lots of opportunities to share about Jesus with the other women. It’s amazing how God can work good even in circumstances like that.
I remember reading Corrie’s expereince Lesley, but haven’t thought of it for a long while. Thank you for bringing that to our attention. It indeed shows that ‘all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord’. 🙂
I’m glad you were able to go back to sleep, Jennifer. I wake up a lot at night and sometimes struggle to get good rest. I often pray for other people while I’m awake, but you have encouraged me to add prayers of thanksgiving to my middle-of-the-night conversations with God. 🙂
It’s hard on our bodies when we experience interrupted sleep Lois. I hope you get a restful & complete sleep soon 🙂
I have always heard, gratitude changes attitude. This is an excellent read, Jennifer. When I can’t sleep, I try to use that time for prayer, rather than becoming frustrated that I can’t sleep. As always, thank you for your encouraging post, sweet friend!
Thank you sweet friend. Yes, often God likes to get our attention in the quiet hours of the night or early morn when all other distractions are gone, prayer is an excellent use of that time with Him Pam. 🙂
I think people get confused that they are supposed to be grateful for their illnesses. I can be grateful for God’s company when I ail, but I am not expected to thank Him for pain. I do think Ignatius had it right that in times of desolation think of times of consolation.
Yes, I agree Elizabeth. As I read your comment Philippians 4:8 came to mind;
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
I have this quote framed in my hall.
That is an excellent message Jennifer. Indeed, our eyes must firmly be fixed upon Jesus in every circumstance. Then we can relax and live in peace despite what hell throws at us.
Thank you Heather. 😊
This is a perfect message for June, leading up to one (or two) of the hottest months in the desert. True, sometimes we only give thanks during the month of Thanksgiving, with the Bible (and) Pastor at church imploring us to give thanks always, in everything. Even the trials, which hit us hard, are occasions to give thanks!
Thank you Ed. As you go into your hottest months in the Northern hemisphere we go into our coldest months in the Southern hemisphere. Indeed we can give thanks in all seasons. 🙂