Yesterday, I talked about the instructions in James chapter 1 that tells us we should be joyful when we encounter trials (you can link to that post here). We talked about the difference between joy and happiness.
This morning as I sat down to have my prayer time, I read a blog post from Jim Dennison. I ran across his blog, God Issues, a couple of weeks ago and have been reading it pretty regularly since. Today, his post goes right along with this idea of joyfulness in the midst of struggle (you can link to his full post here).
Jim makes a very interesting and helpful point in his discussion of 1 Thessalonians 5:18. He points out that Paul did not say, “Give thanks for all circumstances.” What Paul said was, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Isn’t it amazing what a difference one little preposition can make! We don’t have to be thankful for the trials and struggles that will come our way. But we do need to remain thankful for God’s provision even in the midst of them.
Regardless of what life throws our way, God is still in control. Psalm 11:4 says, “The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD is on his heavenly throne.”
So today, no matter where you are or what you find yourself dealing with, give thanks for there is a bigger picture being created and God is the one holding the brush!
Clay in the Hands 
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