1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.
Context: 1 Chronicles 16:1-2 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 16:7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the LORD by Asaph and his brothers.
From the lexicon: Give=cast thanks. Good=pleasant, agreeable, good.
Pulling it together: 1 Chronicles 16:34 instructs us to cast or thanks to the Lord. Be thankful. Simple enough? But in Romans 1:21 we read For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools. This describes the degeneration of man. Being thankful, giving God thanks, acknowledges Who He is and what He has done. Not being thankful ignores God and His place in our lives.
Putting 1 Chronicles 16:34 into context we see David dedicating the ark of the covenant after it was returned to Israel. An important element of this dedication was the act of praise and thanksgiving to God. Likewise, we can express our devotion to God but without praise and a thankful heart it means little. Our world is in desperate need to see people who serve God in reality, with thankful hearts.
Lord, I pray for grace to keep a thankful heart for all you have done for me.