Day and Night (Psalm 1)

November 20, 2025 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

As we take this cinematic journey through Psalms together, I encourage you to listen to the album and each song on your favorite music streaming service first, for pure enjoyment and also to see how God may speak to you through the music. If you want to go deeper Psalm 1 is down below. You can also read and reflect on the spiritual and musical inspirations behind each song while you listen or in silence as a quiet devotional. Wishing you God’s grace and peace, Stanton

My heart’s desire for the opening track of Eternal Beauty was to convey God’s strength and power from the very start. The introduction of Day and Night expresses these being available to me in my life and faith journey. God’s “I am available” is transformed to “I am with you” through His strength and power when I progress from seeking to be in His proximity to being fully surrendered to Him. The percussion rhythms symbolize God’s heartbeat for me as I put my trust in Him. I want to be in step, in rhythm as I wait, walk, and run with Him.

Blessed is the one, blessed is the one, blessed is the one, blessed is the one. After the introduction the musical notes repeat the main theme melody sixteen times, which was inspired by these four words. The main theme reappears throughout the song, with other secondary melodies interspersed along the way.

The secondary theme symbolizes the tension between my imperfect unholiness and God’s perfect holiness. The minor and major chords and notes reflect both the longing I have to meditate on God’s word day and night and, at the same time, the victories and struggles of living by faith. In the final minute and a half of the song, a third theme appears. As I composed I thought about how angels are watching over us even though we can’t see them. The Bible has many stories of the unseen becoming visible for a moment to a character in the story. By faith we can know that angels are watching over and singing over us with beauty and peace, just as God is singing over us with His strength and power.

One final musical and spiritual insight is from verse three. The “blessed one” whose delight is in God’s Word and who meditates on it “day and night” is described to be “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” I selected the wooden marimba from the orchestra percussion section to play from start to finish as inspiration for my life and faith journey to be like this “tree.” In researching the marimba I discovered that the use of rosewood is significant for marimbas due to its rich, warm, and resonant tone, making it the preferred “gold standard” for the instrument’s bars. The unique properties of rosewood create a warm, deep sound with a long sustain, and its quality, density, and grain are meticulously matched during the instrument’s construction to achieve a high level of performance. Amazingly these words could also describe a fruitful life in Christ: rich, warm, resonant, deep, sustaining, quality, density and depth, matched—in step with God, and, buy His life in us, achieving a high level of performance for His glory.

I hope you enjoy soaking in Day and Night again and again. I experienced God’s inspiration while composing it, and have encountered His presence while listening many times. Our Father reveals deep truths from Psalm 1 which enrich our private intimacy with Him, and then overflow into our public influence as we love and serve others for His glory.

How does Day and Night speak to you?

Psalm 1 (NIV) — DAY AND NIGHT

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Solo Piano Psalm

October 5, 2023 By Stanton Lanier 6 Comments

Today is release day for Solo Piano Psalm. You can stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all music services worldwide. You can also click below to listen as you read the inspiration behind this new piece.

Solo Piano Psalm is a gentle piano journey, expressing life’s moments of peace, hope and beauty amidst the tension of the world’s noise, despair, and distress. It is a simple decision, but not an easy one, to thank God from a full heart, to embrace Him as my sanctuary, and to sing His love and faithfulness each day. I have provided three Psalms below for reflection, but I encourage you to read other Psalms in the Bible that are special to you, or you can just begin with Psalm 1 or Psalm 23.

I composed the first minute of the song as an introduction to establish a sense of peace, calm, and contentment, knowing God is with me by faith and experience. At the same time, there is a hint of tension as I am also seeking and longing for God’s love, wisdom, and provision in every area of my life. Every Psalm in the book of Psalms is genuine and vulnerable whether giving thanks to God or crying out to Him for help.

The main theme for Solo Piano Psalm begins around the one minute mark, and the notes are “singing” and repeating the words “I’m thanking you God, from a full heart.” There are additional musical variations as the journey continues, including a section of long chords reminding me to pause and reflect, to “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10). Whatever circumstances you are facing in your life, whether a time of victory or struggle, I hope the melodies and notes sing peace, hope, and beauty to your heart, and help you know how much you are seen, known, and loved by our Heavenly Father.

How does Solo Piano Psalm speak to you today?

“I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy! I’m singing your song, High God.” (Psalm 9:1-2, MSG)

“God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.” (Psalm 9:9-10, MSG)

“Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it! I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I’ll never quit telling the story of your love.” (Psalm 89:1, MSG)

5 Ways to Blossom this Spring

March 26, 2015 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Always in Blossom from the album A Thousand Years as you read. If you enjoy, consider ordering the CD or MP3 Album, or Sheet Music (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, and more).

How do you plan to blossom this spring?

With trees, shrubs, and flowers budding, the wondrous colors of spring will be revealed soon. This is my second favorite season after autumn. You will see this in my April and May posts.

Always in Blossom was inspired by Psalm 1, which contains a few ways our lives can “blossom” more fully — making a positive difference in the world and the lives of others. I added a few inspiring thoughts of my own which align with this theme to come up with what I am calling 5 Ways to Blossom this Spring…

1. Eyes up, knees down, hands open. Gaze upward to heaven, kneel in prayer asking God to bear fruit through your life, have a posture of “open hands” to receive His guidance and blessings.
2. Experiment with random acts of kindness toward family, friends, those you serve, those who serve you, and even strangers. See what happens when you love others with grace.
3. Take good things into your heart, because out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Speak encouraging, life-giving words to others.
4. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). If this is hard, ask God to help you delight in Him and His Word. Meditate on Scripture. Use biblegateway.com to search verses, words and topics of interest.
5. Allow the beauty of creation to set your thoughts and praise on our Creator. This is what Saint Francis of Assisi did in 1225 A.D. when he penned words inspired by Psalm 148. These became the great hymn All Creatures of Our God and King (which inspired my song — and blog post about — Alleluias Dancing).

Which one is your favorite to live a more radiant life this spring?

Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. — Psalm 1:2-3 (MSG)

Whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers. — Psalm 1:2-3 (NIV)

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. — Luke 6:45 (NIV)