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Psalm 136
FOREVER.
It’s such an interesting word. We use it from time to time in our everyday life. “I haven’t seen you in forever.” “This thing has lasted forever.” “I’ll love you always and forever.” Yet, honestly the concept of forever is something we don’t fully grasp.
We can’t. The world we live in is not a forever world. Things wear out. They break down and fail. Even the best things come to an end. That’s what makes the refrain of the psalmist in our scripture today so amazing and hard to fathom.
Take a moment to read Psalm 136:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
The resounding message of the psalmist is clear: God’s love lasts FOREVER. Yes, you heard that right, FOREVER. I know it’s hard to grasp, hard to truly believe. It’s probably why he repeated it so many times. But it’s true. And not just for other people. God’s love for YOU lasts forever. It does not increase or decrease based how well you behave or how you feel or what your circumstances look like. It does not fade over time. It’s unwavering.
God’s love for you is the same today as it was yesterday, and last week and the day you were born. And His love for you will continue to be the same tomorrow and next week and at your very last breath. How astounding is that? It makes me want to declare with the psalmist, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!”
But wait, it doesn’t end there.
Or at least it doesn’t have to. God sent Jesus so that you and I could truly experience His love FOR-EV-ER, beyond our last breath. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so you could be with Him and dwell in His loving presence always, on and on, without end. And if you trust Jesus as your savior, this IS your reality. This IS your future.
So today, rejoice loudly with the psalmist, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His steadfast love endures FOREVER!”
1) What things in life make it hard to experience and trust God’s enduring, unending love for you?
2) How does knowing God’s unwavering love for you change or affect your everyday life?