Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good:
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of Gods:
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of Lords:
His love endures forever…
He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
[Psalm 136, New International Version]
Psalm 136 has 26 verses, each of which tells us something about God, and each of which has the refrain, ‘His love endures forever’. 26 times! So, why is the Psalmist so keen to get this message across?
Love
If I asked you to finish the sentence ‘Love is…’, what would you say? I suspect some of you will think immediately of the text in Corinthians which describes ‘God-style’ love*. To precis: love is not envious, boastful or proud, and doesn’t humiliate others or hold grudges; rather, love is patient, kind, selfless, tolerant, and truthful; love protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. In the repeated phrase, ‘His love endures forever’, the writer of Psalm 36 sums up his own understanding of God’s love, the love that he has been told of, that he has experienced – the love that he wants us to understand and experience too.
Endures
The dictionary definition of ‘endure’ gives the word lots of little nuances: putting up with, persevering, prevailing, and more. Now, we know that God loves us, right? But what does it mean for God’s love to ‘endure’? Four Psalms include the phrase ‘God’s love endures forever’ (105, 107, 118, and 136). They talk about God’s power in creation, release from slavery in Egypt, provision in the desert, confession of failure, turning away from God, and help in times of trouble. Let’s be honest, God puts up with a lot from us humans – and yet God is always with us, providing, saving, forgiving, restoring – because God’s love puts up with, perseveres, prevails – endures!
Forever
‘Forever’ can be a difficult concept to grasp. Obviously, when we say something is forever, we mean that it will go on into the future, never-ending – but that’s only half of the story! If we apply the dictionary definition of forever, it brings a fuller and more powerful meaning: God’s love is incessant; God’s love is persistent; God’s love is constant; God’s love is continuous. And as we’ve already seen, God’s love endures. God’s love is not something distant, or something yet to come. God’s love is here and now, repeatedly offered and available to each one of us, at all times, in all places, for all people.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: his love endures forever.
God of love,
Thank you for showing us what love is.
Thank you for your enduring love for us.
Thank you that your love endures forever.
When we turn away from your love for us,
God, forgive us.
When we fail to show your love to others,
God, forgive us.
In a world where so many are unloved,
Where so many don’t know how to love,
Where love itself is distorted and devalued,
May we love with your faithful, selfless, enduring love.
Amen
* 1 Corinthians 13: 4–8
Image: photo by Judith R Simms, 2016
