It is good…

It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.

Psalm 92:1-3

As he often did, David has given us a psalm of praise. This one is a little different from some of them, just as it is a little different from most modern songs of praise. Notice that in this one, David isn’t putting the praise in the future tense. Sometimes I read his psalms or hear modern songs that say we (I) will praise the Lord, and then it never really seems to take place; just a promise that at some future point we’ll get around to it.

It may interest you to know at this point that I irritate my wife frequently reacting to what she says instead of what she means. Anyway, this time, David is clear that it is a good thing to praise the Lord both in the morning and in the evening.

The praise in this case is through music, in the morning for God’s great love, and in the evening for God’s steadfastness or faithfulness. That way, we begin our day reminded of God’s love for us, setting a certain tone for the day, perhaps reminding us that He has commanded that just as He has loved us, so too should we love our neighbor. In the evening, when the darkness comes and we prepare to lay down and sleep, David would have us be reminded that God is faithful and steadfast, watching over us through the night, no doubt a great comfort to a man who spent so many years being hunted by his enemies.

Yes, this is a good thing for us too, for what better way is there to begin and end each day by giving all praise and glory to God for all that He has done for us?