It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night, (Psalm 92:1-2)
Let’s qualify what the word “good” means here.
Growing up, I was told a lot of things were good for me, like spinach, okra, Brussels sprouts, and Milk-of-Magnesia. I was expected to choke them down and trust that there would be an eventual positive outcome. But I never quite enjoyed their taste. Mustard greens, for instance, seemed to me like eating a pile of wet grass clippings. They might have been good for me, but “good” did not include enjoyment.
This particular psalm pours out of a person who has found good in every way possible—past, present, and future. He finds it by bookending the day with declarations of God’s love and God’s faithfulness.
A declaration of God’s love in the morning means a prayerfully spoken anticipation of it before the day even begins. It means knowing what lies ahead at work, the myriad challenges, annoyances, and maybe deep disappointments, and yet celebrating the triumph of God’s love over it all, before it happens.
In a real sense, you’re preaching to yourself in the moment, affirming this truth not only for God’s sake but your own. You are, after all, a human being, prone to be affected by the things you hear and allow into your soul. And the most influential person you’ll ever listen to will always be yourself, first (ever notice how close your mouth is to your ears?). You want to enter the day, not merely with the power of positive thinking, but with the power of truth believed, and truth spoken—”Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak” (2 Cor. 4:13).
A declaration of God’s faithfulness by night means remembering it, at the end of the day. You got through that temptation. You beat that anxiety. Grace was there to keep you walking in faith. These are thankful reflections on the day’s events, as you finally get ready for bed. There’s a satisfaction so deep, so validating, that you can’t help but acknowledge it to God. It’s more than a recitation, it’s a boast. Thus, you end the day on the note of faith’s perfect calm—”For we who have believed enter that rest…” (Heb. 4:3).
That’s good.
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on John Myer
Featured Image by Cindy Lever from Pixabay
