Verse of the Day for November 10

This psalm was written for the sabbath, the day the pressure was meant to stop. It begins with a plain claim: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD.

Good, and not only for God. Good for the one giving thanks. Like water or sleep, it is the kind of good thing you notice most when you have gone without it.

Then verse 2 divides the day in two. To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Morning gets lovingkindness. Night gets faithfulness.

The order makes sense to anyone under strain. In the morning you need to know you are loved before you face what is coming. At night you need to look back and see that he held, that the day which looked impossible at seven o'clock was somehow carried by ten. Lovingkindness is the promise. Faithfulness is the proof.

If this week is heavy, try the psalm's rhythm. Before you open your messages tomorrow, thank God for his love. Before you sleep, name one way he was faithful in the day, even if the day was hard. The pressure may not lift, but you will have two fixed points to stand on.

Under pressure, gratitude is not a luxury but one of the good things that keeps you standing.

Tonight, look for the place where he held.