Thanksgiving Scripture - Nov 23

Thanksgiving Month Introduction...

Psalm 116:1-7,17-18
（Memorization Scripture 5-7,17-18）
1 I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
3 The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you....
17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people,
In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

【Reflection】Have you ever experienced the kind of situation that the psalmist described as "The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish" (verse 3)? If you have, you may also have the urgent prayer of the psalmist, "Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!’" (verse 4). How often do we forget that we are still alive because God has heard our prayers? Even if He did not fulfill our requests exactly as we asked, He did indeed hear our prayers. This gracious and righteous God, who is full of compassion, is experienced by those who call upon the name of the LORD in times of trouble. It is also by His grace that those in distress are supported to continue walking in the path of faith, waiting for His salvation. After coming out of the Valley of Weeping, this psalmist, who tasted the goodness of the Lord, joyfully declares, "Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." (verse 7). And he comes into the temple of the LORD, offers thanksgiving sacrifices to God, and fulfills the covenant he made when he first called upon the LORD. "I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live." (verses 1-2)