A daily good work.
Something the good man does every morning and every night. The Talmud speaks of this psalm as being sung on the morning of the sabbath at the drink offering which followed the sacrifice of the first lamb. What is here said to be "a good thing" is the act of recognizing and acknowledging God's direct relation to our lives. He is closely related to them. We may, and we ought to, feel the relation, but it is right to say so, and it does us good to say so, day by day. The psalm may be used as a plea for the value of morning and evening devotions and worship. When Richard Baxter exerted so gracious an influence at Kidderminster, one important part of his work was securing family prayer in every house. It is said of the Christianized Fiji Islanders, that in every family there is morning and evening worship. Moses provided for thank offerings, because he understood human nature, and knew that to the thankful the outward sign of thankfulness would be an addition to thankfulness. "At all times man has mercies enough given him to make them a subject of thankfulness unto God." In saying that giving thanks daily is a "good thing," two ideas may be included.
If begun as duty, it will soon come to be a personal joy. We have always abundant
(1) cause for gratitude to God. We ought always to cherish
2. The word "loving kindness" is associated with our morning praise; the word "faithfulness" is associated with our evening praise.
I. WHAT IS GOD TO US WHEN WE MAKE NO CONSCIOUS DEMANDS ON HIM? We make no demands in our sleep. And what seems first to come to our thought, when we wake in the morning, is the "loving kindness" of God's preservations and restorations.
"Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
Restored to life, and power, and thought."
II. WHAT IS GOD TO US WHEN WE MAKE CONSCIOUS DEMANDS ON HIM? That we do forevery day, and all day long: for all the activities and relations of life. So what comes to mind "every night" is God's "faithfulness" to the promises on which we have been relying.—R.T.