Thanksgiving Scripture - Nov 24

Thanksgiving Month Introduction...

Psalm 66:8-20
（Memorization Scripture 10-12,16-20）
8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered, And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

【Reflection】When we fall into various trials - temptations, burdens, trials of water and fire... we often ask: "Where is my God? Has He forgotten me? Does He hear my prayers?" But the psalmist gains a new understanding of God in the midst of trials - God loves us, tests us, refines us like gold, leads us into snares, places burdens upon us, and even allows us to be crushed under the wheels of a chariot, all for the purpose of bringing us into a land of abundance. In trials, our sins are exposed. Sin is detested by God, and is also the greatest obstacle to our prayers to God. "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (verse 18) May God help us, not only to expose our sins but also to manifest His grace of forgiveness, giving us the strength to break free from the power of sin, so that we can come before Him with clean hands and a pure heart. He will surely incline His ear and listen to our prayers.