Before studying this passage, take the time to read the full psalm and also observe the way it is written.
The first thing you might notice is that every other sentence is followed by "His love endures forever," which is italicized each time. One can easily imagine that this psalm was sung or chanted by people that respond to the statements that precede. It's kind of like when someone yells "God is good!" and someone follows it with "All the time!" Then once more,
"All the time!" "God is good!". Though this type of exchange may be considered a meme to some, wouldn't it be wonderful for such automatic praise of God to happen more frequently? Because it is true. God is good all the time and is always worthy of our praise. I hope that as you reflect on God's love means we can be as joyful as those who praise God while singing the song You Are Good, by Israel Houghton.
Psalm 136 is a hymn of praise that can be broken up into different sections, but the overarching message remains the same: The phrase "His love endures forever," is reiterated 26 times, so that we can be reminded 26 times of this truth. This seemingly endless reiteration mirrors the endlessness of God's love and mercy. In other versions of the bible, this phrase is interchanged with "His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 136 NKJV). Both the love and mercy of God give the same implication for anyone reading or listening to the psalm. Regardless of the circumstance, there is no reason to doubt God's ability to keep loving us.
If you feel you need to work hard to be noteworthy, gain status, or receive love ...God's love and mercy endure forever.
If you have been skipping out on reading the bible...God's love and mercy endure forever.
If you feel far from God, apathetic, or you have sinned ...God's love and mercy endure forever.
God's love and mercy endure forever! Nothing on this earth can change God's goodness and faithfulness. Therefore, repent, accept His love, run back into the arms of the father, and put your trust in Him. Regardless of where you are, you can experience this steadfast love. Cast aside your worries and find peace from the assurance of your salvation and the fact that Jesus has your back.
In verses 1-4, the psalmist calls us to praise and reminds us of God's position over this world. He is worthy of praise because He holds the supreme authority and is all-powerful. It can be hard to trust in an unseeable authority figure because earthly leaders have demonstrated their own shares of faults and darker sides throughout. However, we can rest easy and be thankful knowing that our God is righteous and his for us is steadfast.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
(Psalm 136:1-4)
We know that God is love and that love comes from him (1John 4:7-8). This, combined with the fact that He is a good almighty ruler, is already enough reason to worship.
In the body of the psalm, the writer lays out specific reasons to praise God that demonstrate his faithfulness. The first reason appears in verses 5-9 when we are reminded that God is the creator of all things on earth and in the heavens. The mechanisms behind day and night and every details of this earth was intentionally made by Him for a specific purpose. After creating the earth, creatures, night, day, and man, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). God's goodness is demonstrated with his creations, and his love for humans is demonstrated when he created mankind to share his good creations with.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
(Psalm 136:5-9)
The next example of God's enduring love and mercy is demonstrated in the ways God acted in the past to help His people. in verses 10-15, the psalmist points to the deliverance of the Israelites from enslavement by Egypt. Here, God takes them out of Egypt and continues to provide and a miraculous way to escape by having Moses part the red sea when Pharoah continued to pursue the Israelites (Exodus 14).
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. 11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. 12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. 14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. 15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
(Psalm 136:10-15)
God continued to demonstrate his faithfulness and enduring love for His people even after helping them escape from Egypt. God leads his people in the wilderness to the promised land. During this 40 year period, God gave sustenance, healing, water from rocks, direction, and many victories against powerful kings. Through this time the Israelites often grumbled and failed to give thanks, yet God still fulfilled his promise.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever.
17 to him who struck down great kings, His love endures forever. 18 and killed mighty kings— His love endures forever. 19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever. 20 and Og king of Bashan— His love endures forever. 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever. 22 an inheritance to his servant Israel. His love endures forever.
(Psalm 136:16-22)
Beyond taking His people safely out of Egypt and to the promised land, there are countless other examples where God demonstrates his love and mercy. You can find these by simply reading the bible, a good passage to refer to is Hebrews 11 which lists multiple instances where people take action out of faith and God provides.
It is not just in biblical times that God is faithful, He delivers us today from our enemies (Psalm 136:24). Because of His great love for us, He does not forget us when we are suffering. Still, it can be easy to forget about what God has done, especially when we get caught up in the highs of life, or focus on negative things without trusting in God through the process. This pattern of 'forgetting' about God has existed even in the Old Testament. Yet what also continues to exist is the unchanging, enduring love of God. God cares for us and his creations not just for the past and present, but also for the future. Because of His great love for us, He does not forget us when we are suffering, He listens to our prayers, and provides the solution that is for our ultimate good. The psalmist ends with a conclusive call to give thanks to the God of heaven. Because of Jesus Christ, we have access to eternal heaven with God. Praise the Lord, not just because we are told to by this psalmist, but because of all the reasons, God is worthy. Praise God for the freeing, satiating, and peace-giving effects of his enduring, love!
23 He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. 24 and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever. 25 He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.
(Psalm 136:23-26)
He is never going to give you up, let you down, run around, or desert you. #rickrolled
This was a devotional to accompany our Catchup with Jesus pin.
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We hope that this pin design and bible study further encourages and reminds you of God's faithfulness and steadfast love for his children.
Instead of looking to worldly sauces, entertainment, or other distractions to spice things up and fill a void, we invite you to "Catchup with Jesus for his love overflows from my head tomatoes."
And unlike ketchup, His love and mercy will never run, and you will be fully satisfied.
Prayer:
Father God, thank you for your love and mercy that endures forever. Please open our hearts to the truth of your word and help us keep the reality of your love etched in our minds. You are a God who is good and faithful until the end. We know you are continuously working in our lives, but we pray that you would help us have greater faith. We ask for hearts of endless thankfulness to match your endless love. Thank you so much for all you have done, all you are doing, and all that you will do. In Jesus's name, Amen.
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