Thanksgiving Scripture - Nov 21

Annual Bible Reading Plan:

DAN.2
ACT.1

2024 Thanksgiving Month Day 21:

Giving Thanks to God at All Times and in All Places (Psalm 34:1-8)
(Memorization Scripture 1-3)
A Psalm of David when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt His name together!
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to Him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Reflection:
David's experience and testimony in this psalm inspire us greatly in our practice of thanksgiving: "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." This precious exhortation reveals that thanksgiving should be a consistent and ongoing practice, regardless of time or place. David wrote this psalm shortly after escaping the Philistine king Abimelech by pretending to be insane. Although he had just emerged from a perilous situation and still faced numerous challenges, he immediately offered thanksgiving and praise to God. David’s deep awareness of his own weakness and helplessness, combined with his profound trust in God's faithfulness and power, allowed him to respond this way. He acknowledged that he was merely a "poor man," completely reliant on "crying out" and "looking to" God for deliverance and guidance. Each time he called out to God, he experienced God's attentive "hearing" and the deliverance provided by the angel of the Lord encamping around him. Not only did David personally give thanks and praise, but he also invited us to join him in magnifying the Lord together. This psalm, written in acrostic form in Hebrew, was specifically designed to help the entire congregation of Israel, including children, to sing and practice thanksgiving. Let us follow David’s example, recognizing that apart from God, we can do nothing. With this humility, may we daily "take refuge" in Him and offer our gratitude and praise to Him at all times and in all places.