Beginning with verse 16 of 1st Thessalonians 5 Paul gives some poignant directives. Each one is an impact statement: easy to remember but not so easy to implement. They are personal to each and every believer.
Let’s consider verses 16-18 together: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Use these injunctions to answer the question, “Are you making progress in coping with your personal circumstances?” Taking Paul’s words at face value, your personal circumstances, whatever they may be, are “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” That might be hard for you to accept, but that’s what Paul says. Since it’s true you’re to give thanks in those circumstances.
This is illustrated in Acts 16. Paul and Silas responded to the Macedonian call received one night in the city of Troas. “During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” What happened there? They were beaten up, thrown into a rat infested prison with their feet in stocks.
Verse 25 gives us their response to this. "About midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God.” That seems hard for us to believe, but that’s what happened.
