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.



年度讀經計畫

但2
徒1

2024感恩月 Day21:

Day 21：時時和處處向 神獻上感謝（詩篇34:1-8）
（背誦1-3）
大衛在亞比米勒面前裝瘋，被他趕出去，就作這詩。
1 我要時時稱頌耶和華，
讚美祂的話必常在我口中。
2 我的心必因耶和華誇耀，
謙卑人聽見，就要喜樂。
3 你們和我當稱耶和華為大，
一同高舉祂的名。
4 我曾尋求耶和華，祂就應允我，
救我脫離了一切的恐懼。
5 凡仰望祂的便有光榮，
他們的臉必不蒙羞。
6 我這困苦人呼求，耶和華便垂聽，
救我脫離一切患難。
7 耶和華的使者在敬畏祂的人四圍安營，搭救他們。
8 你們要嘗嘗主恩的滋味，便知道祂是美善。
投靠祂的人有福了！

【心得分享】在我們感恩的操練和實行中，大衛的經歷與見證特別激勵我們—「我要時時稱頌耶和華，讚美祂的話必常在我口中。」這句寶貴的勸勉讓我們看到感恩的實行當是隨時隨地、且是一直如此的。大衛寫這首詩的背景是自己剛剛以裝瘋逃離非利士王亞比米勒之後。他雖然剛剛經歷了艱險，並且當時的環境仍有諸多挑戰，但他卻馬上為 神獻上感謝和讚美。大衛實在對自己的軟弱、無助和 神的信實、權能有著深刻的認識和把握。他深知自己不過是個「困苦人」，必須要以「呼求」和「仰望」神才能得救和往前。而每次「呼求」和「仰望」時，他都經歷了 神的「垂聽」和在他「四圍安營」的搭救。他不但自己有這樣的感恩和讚美，還邀請我們與他一同這樣稱謝主（這首詩歌在希伯來文中是一首字母詩—每行詩歌的首字母是按順序排列的，特別用來幫助以色列全會眾、包括孩童來歌唱和實行）。就讓我們都效法大衛，看到自己離開 神實在什麼都不能做，就因此謙卑，每天都來「投靠」祂，也在時時和處處都向祂獻上我們的感恩和讚美。