Morning and Evening

 “They were to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening.”   1 Chronicles 23:30

How do you start your day?  Anxious?  Apathetic?  Exhausted?  Instead of growling at the clock, how about giving gratitude to God?  That’s the way He desires for His people to begin—and end—each day.  

In the instructions for temple worship, one duty given to the Levite helpers was to “stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord.  They were to do the same in the evening”(1 Chr 23:20).  With every sunrise and sunset someone was to be standing and showing gratefulness to God.   For what?  

For what should you be thankful in the morning?  The safety of the night(Ps. 4:8).  A God who never sleeps(Ps. 121:4). The gift of rest(Ps. 127:2).  Great faithfulness and new mercy(Lam. 3:22-23).  Ears that are open to your requests(Ps. 5:3). The grace that made you His(Eph. 2:8).  Opportunities that await as you walk God’s path(Eph. 2:10).  So in the morning, before you get going, give thanks.

 And when you stop sometime after sunset, give thanks again.  Before you fall into bed, fall on your knees and thank God for giving you strength(Ps. 29:11), for guiding your path(Ps. 48:14), for providing your food(Ps. 136:25), for His unfailing love(Ps. 36:7), for His infallible Word(Ps. 19:7), and for the grace that kept you His even though you probably sinned once and possibly several times during your waking hours(Eph. 1:7).  The end of the day calls for endless praise, and we should offer it joyfully. 

Since God’s Spirit lives in us, we are now God’s temple, and His guidelines for worship still apply.  When morning dawns and evening fades, give gratitude to God for who He is and for what He has done.

During this holiday season try giving thanks at least twice a day because two times is never too much.

Give thanks.