“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,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!..
The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
to declare that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Psalm 92:1-5, 12-15
This was A Song for the Sabbath, for the day set aside from work to rest from labor and unto the God who’d provided it. A day for gladness, remembering, expressing thanks and praise. In the economy of time, what practice is through the hours over a day becomes a rhythm over weeks and years. All-day declaring becomes all-life living, all breath and effort given to the exaltation of the Lord, flourishing in fruitfulness that reflects His faithfulness.
To determine what a body declares takes an intentional mindset. Where am I relegating specific time and attention to praise my God, declaring with zeal in song, word, and deed His greatness? What Sabbath practices have become or will I develop as weeklong habits?
“I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
We fly borne by winds of culture or establish deep roots in the secret place with God. We either fall into new days with casual and haphazard let’s see what comes, or we set ourselves to lift high the name and character of God Almighty no matter what comes. We react from spontaneous emotion or respond from scripture-soaked discernment. We make capricious assessments from a vantage of self-victimization, or we perceive and accept circumstances through the lens of God’s sovereignty. We babble with empty words or we draw from the unchanging truth of the sure Rock. (Psalm 31:20; 90:12; 91:1; Isaiah 45:3; Matthew 6:6; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22; Hebrews 5:14)
“Through [Jesus] then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Hebrews 13:5
What will it be for me? Do I produce from days planted with purpose, or prattle through unmeasured time with ambiguity? What does my attitude at the start of the day, or in untoward circumstances, declare of God’s goodness? What do my demeanor, words, and actions portray of His character? Do people with whom I interact know more of Him having spent time with me? Do my actions and reactions mimic His grace, wisdom, and love?
Lord, keep me singing from morning till night and day to day of Your wondrous worth, Your deeds and ways. May Your glory be my ongoing declaration. (Psalm 96:2,7-9; 98:1)
As the rain and snow 