Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! And from our first breath to our last, His love is the only constant. His is a steadfast endures forever kind of love. In Psalm 136, the psalmist repeats ‘His steadfast love endures forever’ 26 times, anchoring each verse to this one constant refrain.
Today I learned about the passing of a friend who is my age. He was a faithful servant of God, humble, and insightful. As I sat in my home office staring out at the rain, I felt grateful to be alive, grateful to have known him, and grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him. Slowly, I turned my attention to Psalm 136, and it settled my mournful heart. Whenever my thoughts feel a bit scrambled, His word is always clear.
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
Take your time, read it slowly, let each repetition do its work as the passage speaks to you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of Lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever; but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever; and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever; and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever; a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1-26 ESV
Give Thanks
As I ruminated on the passage, these are the things that came to mind;
- Gratitude is a practice, repeated, returning to the same truth. Everything flows from His love.
- Gratitude remembers specific moments and particular mercies.
- Gratitude sees God’s hand in history as one continuous story.
- Gratitude does not pretend there was no suffering. It recognizes that God was present and faithful even in the low places.
- Gratitude is grounded in one unchanging constant. The basis of gratitude is not our circumstances, which can change, but His steadfast love, which endures forever.
My heart is still heavy, and I’m praying for his family and loved ones who will miss him. He was a musician, a talk show host, and a beloved member of the Christian community in Belize. I’m sure he is grateful to be in the presence of God, experiencing His steadfast love, and free from all the aches and pains of life.
*For those of you who prayer walk, ponder the phrase ‘His steadfast love endures forever’ as you walk. For your copy of this week’s screensaver, click here. And to access all of my YouVersion Bible App devotional plans, click here.