I love Psalm 92. It's a rich song of thanksgiving and praise, brimming and bubbling over with joy.
Last week I read this psalm in Los Angeles. I was sitting in our rental car waiting for my dad and, in that window of boredom, I opened YouVersion on my phone.
And that's when the first two verses practically leaped off the screen for me.
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.
What captured my attention was David's choice of words in verse two — he is eager to declare God's "steadfast love in the morning" and his "faithfulness by night."
I got thinking: why those two attributes? And why those two times? And why should I long like David to declare those truths too?
Starting the Day Off Loved
Declaring God's love in the morning evokes a picture of beginning the day assured of your identity. You are loved and accepted by the God of the universe. You are resting in the fact that God loves you no matter what — no matter what you did yesterday and no matter what you'll do today.
That should fuel your joy and motivate your obedience. That should make you grateful. It should make you glad! It should make you repentant and humble. It should make you compassionate and gracious.
And it should fill you with praise for God.
Ending the Day with Hope
If we begin the day meditating on God's love, why does David want us to end it by meditating on his faithfulness? I think there is profound intentionality here.
God's faithfulness reminds us that he never changes. His love never changes, his mercy never changes, his grace never changes, great is his faithfulness.
Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful, and that should be our anchor and hope. It should give us reason to pause and praise because no matter what happened today, God is still faithful. He won't abandon us. He won't forsake us. He'll never stop caring for us.
That should allow us to rest. That should give us peace in the night.
So Praise God for His Love and Faithfulness Morning and Night
If you are in Christ, God has accepted you. He loves you. He cares for you. So meditate on his attributes and reflect on his love and faithfulness morning and night. That will give you joy and rest. It will start and end your day the right way.
And it will ground you in the gospel grace you need to live daily.