¹It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; ²To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night,

Starting our day with gratitude and praise is good, the Hebrew word denoting that which is pleasant or agreeable; it is the right and appropriate. Given that we are made in God’s image, it is fitting that our first thoughts turn to meditating on His lovingkindness. English translations render the Hebrew word (hesed) variously as “lovingkindness,” kindness, mercy, steadfast love, and loyal love. The concept carries the sense of God’s covenant commitment to be favorable toward His people. It is likewise fitting as image bearers that we should turn our last thoughts of the day to acknowledging His faithfulness. These bookends encompass our waking hours so that we are lifted to a higher plane, where God “Most High” dwells. This is a good formula for walking with the Lord in our daily lives.

Verses 1-5 focus on the greatness of God in general, while verses 8-15 zero in on the specific benefits of God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness in the psalmist’s life, which are the springboard to praise and gratitude for God. The brief excursus in vss. 6-7 tells us that wicked people can’t possibly understand such praise and gratitude, even though they may seem to prosper for their short time on earth. Their rejection of righteousness determines the result of their lives. The brevity of space given to this in the psalm suggests that the heart and mind of the righteous, when occupied with praise and gratitude, leave little room for fretting over the wicked’s temporary prosperity.

The psalm uses Yahweh, God’s exalted, personal covenant name, seven times (indicated in the English translations by “Lord” in small caps). Praising God takes us to the highest level when our minds are consumed with Him. And it is very suitable for us to enhance our praise with various stringed instruments, akin to guitars, violins, and the like today (vs. 3). When we reflect on God, we can’t help but be “glad” and reflexively “sing for joy at the works of Your hands” (vs. 4). The more we meditate on Him and His character, the more deeply we plumb the depths of who God is (vs. 5). David, in another psalm, expresses it this way: “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17).

In verse 9, we see the plight of God’s enemies contrasted with the favor God has shown the psalmist (vss. 10-11). This is true for all who live righteously. Verses 12-14 reflect the same truth and imagery as Psalm 1, which makes a similar contrast and extols the benefits of living righteously:

“He [the righteous person] will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so …. (Psalm 1:3-4a)

From a literary perspective, this psalm begins with the purpose “to declare” (vss. 1-2) and ends with “to declare” (vs. 15), forming what is called in literary jargon an inclusio, that ties the psalm together. The goal of this psalm is not to relegate praise and gratitude to our private “quiet” time only but to let it overflow, telling others how great God is in His lovingkindness, faithfulness, and righteousness. As the psalmist concludes, we want others to know God as we do.

This is easier said than done. With so much turmoil in the world, news of wars, cultural upheaval, sickness, conflict, and troubles of all sorts, our thoughts easily become overwhelmed with anxiety, emotional upheaval, and mental turmoil. We need to take control of our thoughts. This psalm helps give us traction in following what the apostle Paul taught:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3–5)

So, we begin by waking up with thoughts about God and His character, which sets the tone for our day. We end with thoughts of Him again, not only in our review of His faithfulness throughout the day but in setting the tone for the mental self-chatter as we drift off to sleep, ready for the start of a new day dwelling in Him.

Righteous Lord, I declare right now that I will take control of my thoughts by beginning each day with gratitude and praise for Your lovingkindness and ending the day meditating on Your faithfulness.