Thanks for everything!

Where do we find the ability to do as these verses say? As always, I believe they are found in God's Word. The first clue is the very well known passage in Romans 8. Usually, people only quote verse 28, but the context reveals how we know "all things work together for good----." The pertinent verses are: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30 (NKJV) This teaches us that God the Spirit prays for us (translates our prayers) to God the Father, Who has searched out our true heart's desire. His (THe Spirit) prayers are dominated by (according to) the will of the Father, Who has already predestined, called, justified, and glorified us. The end result is already assured and HE causes all the "things" to work towards and result in the predestined results. HE is able to do this, not by making us robots, but, because HE is the All-knowing, All-powerful, All-seeing God and therefore knows (HE doesn't dictate) ahead of time what we will do and knows exactly how to "put it all together" into the desired result. Therefore, it's "all good," and we can rejoice and thank Him in it all. It's kind of like taking a trip as a child to something like DisneyWorld. The trip itself may seem long, tiring, and even trying, but the destination makes it all worthwhile. The trip is necessary to reach the destination and therefore works together to produce the good result. Now that may sound like a simplistic explanation, but it is nevertheless true. The second clue is found in Ephesians 1. We read: just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to (dominated by) the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. (Ephesians 1:4-11 (NKJV) All of that tells us again, that no matter what we go through down here on Earth, the end result is guaranteed and it is good! The trip is just necessary to get there. We can rejoice always because no matter how bumpy the trip may seem, our arrival at the destination is assured. We can always thank Him in all of those things for the same reason.The third clue is found in the fact these verses tell us to pray without ceasing. Prayer keeps our thoughts focused on God and reminds us HE is our source, shield, and strength. When we focus on Him, we know HE is in control and remains our ever present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1). HE's always there for us, never sleeping or looking away for even a second. Staying focused on Him through prayer keeps us aware of that, so we can give thanks to Him in everything, knowing HE's working it all together for good and supplying all our need, never failing, and never forsaking us.As we practice these things, we realize our God is the LORD, All-powerful, All-knowing, All-seeing, All-sufficient, All-present, and always there for us. With a God like that, Who loves us so much HE gave His very own Son to redeem us unto Himself, how can we fail to thank Him in and for everything? Try it out, say "Dear LORD, thank you for everything! I don't see the good in it, but I see You, and that makes it good!"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14 (KJV) Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15 (KJV) Ben