From sunrise to sunset

“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name

is to be praised.”

Psalm 113:3 [KJV]

Waitpinga sunrise SA

There’s something about a beautiful sunrise or sunset. They happen every day (unless you live in the polar extremes!) so you might think you’ve seen them all. And yet one day, there is something so beautiful and richly coloured that you stare in awe and go ‘wow!’.

Breath-taking sunrises and sunsets remind us of the power of our Creator. They remind me too, of a verse I’ve memorised, Psalm 113:3, “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.” This verse is the theme for an upcoming event, so I’ve been meditating on it, not just to help prepare my heart for the event, but also because I feel I don’t praise the Lord enough. Psalm 113 is one of ten praise psalms that all begin with the phrase, “Praise the Lord.” The word ‘praise’ comes from a Hebrew word from which we also have the word Hallelujah! So what does Psalm 113:3 mean, when it says we should praise God from sunrise to sunset? Let’s consider why and when we should praise the Lord.

Why should we praise the Lord? Psalm 113 lists various reasons. In verse 1, we are told to praise the Lord because we are His servants – those who know God and have seen Him work in awesome ways. We should also praise Him because “the LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens” (v4), and there is no one like Him (v5). Though He dwells on high (v5), He is the one “who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!” (v6). He raises the poor (v7), lifts the needy (v7), and gives children to those who have none(v9). To summarise the Psalm’s message, you could say, we should praise the Lord because of who He is and what He has done.

When should we praise the Lord? Psalm 113:3 says from sunrise to sunset – all day long. This thought is found in other Scriptures. Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth,” and Psalm 104:33 says, “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being”. In the New Testament, Christians are told, “By [Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). But when I read a command to praise the Lord continually, I immediately think, our days are busy, varied and full of cares, how does praising God continually work?

Firstly, it means recognising that God always deserves praise. The unbeliever has no fear of God (Romans 3:18) and therefore no desire to praise God. But the Christian echoes the words of those around God’s throne, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

Secondly, it means praising God even when we don’t feel like it. David said in Psalm 42:5 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” Sometimes I’ve felt so low mentally that I haven’t wanted to praise God. But when I’ve praised Him anyway, the Lord’s encouraged me. So don’t wait until you’re emotionally better – praise God anyway and let Him change your feelings.

Thirdly, praising God continually means praising Him in all circumstances. It’s easier to praise and thank God when things are going right; it’s harder to praise God when things are not going well. Yet Acts 16 records that, after Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed for preaching the Gospel, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25). Some of those who heard them were later saved. What a powerful testimony praising God in bad circumstances is!

Fourthly, we should praise God in all places. It’s wonderful to come to church and praise God together in singing, preaching and fellowship. The Psalmist rejoiced as he praised God “in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1b). But praising God isn’t just something we only do in church. The Israelites praised God on the banks of the Red Sea (Psalm 106:9-12), Daniel praised the Lord in a foreign country (Daniel 2:23), Mary praised God while in her cousin Elizabeth’s house (Luke 1:46-55), the disciples praised God on the Mount of Olives (Luke 19:37) and Paul and Silas praised God while in prison (Acts 16:25). In short, we can praise God anywhere! There is no place on earth where God is not found, so there is no place on earth where we cannot praise Him (Jeremiah 23:24).

Fifthly, we should praise God before all people. We’ve already talked about praising God in church, amongst other Christians. But we should praise God before non-Christians too. Acts 3:9 says of a man healed of lameness, “And all the people saw him walking and praising God”. We should also praise God before children, “shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done (Psalm 78:4).

Finally, we should praise God with all our heart. In Psalm 9:1, David makes a promise to God, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.” No half-heartedness or dutiful praise, but genuine praise that rises to God from a thankful heart.

In summary, when we appreciate why and when we should praise God, we join those who praise the Lord’s name “from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same”. And maybe the next time we see a glorious sunrise or sunset, we’ll say ‘Hallelujah!”.