Explicitly Absent – Implicitly There! (Part 2)

Scripture: Psalms 34:1-3 - ‘I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His Name forever.’  

THANKSGIVING [or its synonym gratefulness] while not written at all, verbatim, in any of Psalm 34, is nonetheless felt throughout the reading of it all, in both sober as well as ecstatic terms, and throughout it all, it, THANKSGIVING, is clearly being expressed as ‘supernatural’.

The first verse establishes for us the regard of an unbroken, continuum of personal action and speaking which blesses God, which, of course, we cannot naturally do. And in context, we know that ‘at all times’ is the introduction to a praise and worship which is forevermore [exceeding ‘times’].

This offering which we have, and is uniquely ours to give, is drawn from the glorious gift HE already gave.

Our given praise is born upon His gift of grace.

We understand 1 Chronicles 29:14b to state the same thing, a little differently: ‘ALL things come of Thee, O LORD, and OF THINE OWN have we given Thee.’

It is only the ‘new creature’ which can offer such. Thank You Jesus!

THANKFULNESS, or having a heart of THANKSGIVING, does not mean that everything happening is pleasant, comfortable, or even safe, as the latter part of the psalm describes the ‘righteous’ as being afflicted [v.19], being hated [v.21], being troubled [v.17] as well being saddened [v.18]. What needs to be refreshed is knowing that through it all God is there. Amen.

With grateful hearts, as so well shown in Psalm 34 we can ‘Praise God FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW’, those blessings which are apparently such, and those which take work to be known.

Thanksgiving while explicitly absent in Psalm 34, is certainly, vividly there, and the soul, so impressed, has a ‘mouth’ filled with praise, not only for the sake of expression, but to also be nourished by. Giving praise feeds us. We are being built, when we praise God!

We are supernaturally grateful through justification, believing on Jesus, and for the inward and outward prompting and dynamism of bible-centered, Spirit-led praise and worship, we are sanctified [and sanctifying]! We are filled,  to be spilled!

Thank You LORD!

THANKFULNESS directs us towards company and community. We cannot sit on it alone! When two or more are gathered together in GRATITUDE, Hallelujah, somebody’s about to get their change on! ‘The humble’ [those called]’shall hear’[shall have their hearing quickened by God]’and be glad’ [and be crazily joyful] Amen!

And then, gathering we reply ‘Look what the LORD has done!’.

With grateful hearts, ‘O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His Name forever!’

Prayer:  Amen, and in the Name of Jesus, I rebuke ‘turkey day’, and proclaim that ‘this is the day that the LORD has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it’. And should Mercy offer me another ‘Thanksgiving’ to have, may the twelve months leading up to it find me infectiously grateful, and deliriously glad in Christ, no matter what. Bless God!

(by Dr. McNeal Brockington)