June 26 – Praise Morning and Night

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,”  Psalm 92:1-2 (NASB)

The unnamed psalmist who wrote these words had learned of the benefits that are ours from praising the Lord. It was a good thing to do. God is pleased when we sing praises to the Lord. Some of our songs are about ourselves, what we are doing and how we are feeling. But real praise is about our Lord God. Praising God does not have to wait for any particular time or place. Knowing that it does us good to praise God, we are free to praise the Lord at any time of day or night wherever we are. When we praise God, we are showing our love, adoration, and expressing our thankfulness to Him for His attributes. In our verse the psalmist mentions two times – when we wake up and when we go to bed. In the morning we can start the day by recalling God's love and we can anticipate that He'll show his love during the day. Then in the evening as we retire for the day it is a good time to look back and praise Him for the way he has been faithful throughout the day. We can praise and proclaim His love 24/7.

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November 25 – Never Closed – Always On Duty

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;  To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,” Psalm 92:1-2 (NASB)

It is Thanksgiving week in the United States. Other countries have similar celebrations at different times.  It is the time of the year when most of us spend a little more time thinking about the benefits and blessings we have from God.  Those who follow Jesus will focus a bit more on offering thanks to God for the gift of His Son.  These words mean that it is a good practice to thank God all the time. It means that it does us good to thank and praise Him. Giving thanks is not just for one day or one season of the year.   Because God is never off duty or on vacation and is a 24/7/365 God, it is good for us to respond in kind and thank God in the morning for His love for us. It helps train our focus on the blessings we receive from Him.  It is also good to thank Him at night for His faithfulness during the day. It makes the day different and strengthens our faith for the next day.  Practicing daily thanksgiving makes a difference in our lives and it makes a difference in our outlook.  Let's make it a habit we practice. 

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October 19 – More Than the Dawning of the Day

“I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.  My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.”  Psalm 130:5-6 (NASB)

Today we look at a song in the Book of Psalms that gives us deep understanding of God.  Perhaps you sense that the psalmist meant that his whole being was concentrating on the Lord, expecting Him to work in his behalf.  The psalmist wasn't just thinking that 'maybe' God would help him – he knew it deep in his soul, with his whole being.  This can be our expectation as well.  We too can have our hope based on the reality of God's presence, His nearness.  Just as watchmen wait for the morning they do so knowing that it will indeed come.  Our anticipation for the Lord is even more sure than the arrival of the morning.  Our hope is more certain than knowing the sun will rise and daylight will chase off the darkness of night.  For the promises of God are more sure than the turning of the earth and our hope in His promises will never be dashed as we wait with our whole being for God promises to come to pass.  

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October 8 – Seek It. Obey It. Trust It.

"Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8 (ESV)

This is the kind of prayer which pleases God.  Our God is ready and desires to guide His children, and to not only show us the way but to prepare our path before us.  He know what is best for us. He knows which decisions will bring us the very best results in the end.  And, He is glad to show us the way to go as the psalmist David says in today's verse.  God promises to do this for us but we have to know that His guidance depends on our willingness to seek it and to obey it.  Notice how, the psalmist opens himself up to follow God's guidance.  He does it with his whole being.  He says, “I lift up my soul.”  Doesn't that sound like he's ready with his whole being to follow God'[s guidance?  Well that the attitude we need to show when we pray to God asking for guidance and direction.  

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September 6 – Trusting All Day Long

“Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul.” Psalm 143:8 (NASB)

Some of those who follow and read this blog do so in the evening. Others read it in the morning.  For some, it may be the middle of the day when it is posted in their time zone. No matter when you read each day's post, you can be certain to have the same assurance that David had.  We can think of the morning to come as a time to remember that God's love for us never fails and that, can also re-assure us at evening time or in the middle of the night.  Whenever you take the time to read this post, God wants to remind you of his promises and that His love will never fail.  We can trust in Him.  He is with us showing us which way we should go.  Whenever we might have decisions to make, morning, noon or night, we can depend on God to guide us.  That is a promise and it can lift us up in spirit today.  Let's commit to trust in Him today to guide us in our way.

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October 19 – Waiting With Certainty

“I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130: 5-6 (NIV)

It is common for people to think that they do not need God but He created us in such a way that we we sense in our inner beings that we need the Lord. Although people can resist and deny this, that need and longing remains. That is the way that we were made by the Lord and until the Lord becomes a very definite part of our lives there is a very important element missing. The psalmist in this song says that he waits and hopes in the word. He waits for the Lord more than a watchman waits when expecting the dawn of a new day. The watchmen know morning is coming and wait for it – that is what we can do also. We can wait for the Lord because we know He is there to help us when we need Him. 

June 26 – Praise Morning and Night

“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,”  Psalm 92:1-2 (NIV)

The psalmist who wrote these words had learned that there was a benefit from praising the Lord. We can have that same experience. Praising God does not have to wait for any particular time or place. We can notice that it does us good to praise God and we can praise the Lord at any time of day or night wherever we are. In our verse the psalmist mentions two times – when we wake up and when we go to bed. In the morning we can start the day by recalling God's love and we can anticipate that He'll show his love during the day. Then in the evening as we retire for the day it is a good time to look back and praise Him for the way he has been faithful throughout the day. We can praise and proclaim His love as it is often said, 24/7, so let's do it starting now.

November 21

“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,” Psalm 92:1-2 (NIV)

Now it is Thanksgiving week. We know we are not to wait for a special holiday before we thank God, so let us begin to thank Him today. These words in our Bible do not mean only that it is a good idea to thank God. It means that it does us good to thank and to praise Him. It makes a difference in our lives and it makes a difference in our outlook. Yes, it is good for us to thank God in the morning for His love for us. It changes our outlook on the hours ahead. It is also good to thank Him at night for His faithfulness during the day. It makes the day different and strengthens our faith for the next day.  

June 15

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”  Revelation 22:16 (NIV)

Our Lord has revealed Himself by giving us several names to show His attributes.  The last one is on the last page of our Bible. Notice the last name by which He identifies Himself – the Bright Morning Star. When is it that the morning star is visible? It’s when it is dark. It is still night, but the morning is coming soon. That is what He wants us to remember. During a dark period in our personal lives, Jesus is near. And we know it is still night in the world, but a better day is coming. That is when Jesus will come again – The Bright Morning Star.

April 21

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”  Isaiah 50:4 (NIV)

It sounds like the prophet is speaking from his own experience. We recognize, however, that some of the verses that follow seem to refer to the experiences of Jesus who suffered for us. So why do we read this verse? It is because God does sometimes deal with us as he did with prophets and even with His own Son while He was here. Is it not true that we awaken sometimes with thoughts of the Lord, and we realize He is teaching us? He knows what we need to learn. Let’s listen to Him – in the morning and through the day.