“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1).
Did you know that the average person needs to hear a message at least seven times before it completely sinks in, registers emotionally, and prompts action?
In Psalm 136, the psalmist isn’t content to share his message about the endlessly enduring nature of the Lord’s love just seven times. He uses 26 verses to repeat the incredible refrain: “His love endures forever.”
But you know what?
Hearing that the Lord’s love endures forever still doesn’t completely sink in, register emotionally, and prompt me to act by always giving thanks to the Lord—even after I’ve heard it 26 times. I’ve been hearing that message for the past 29 years, and it still hasn’t completely sunk in.
God, forgive me—I’ve even gone for days on end without thinking about the Lord’s love and what he’s done to rescue me from my sins!
As I read through Psalm 136, a vital spiritual need is highlighted—for me and for you, dear Christian.
We need the message of God’s amazing grace in Christ Jesus in the forefront of our minds at all times. We need to hear it over and over again. Not just 26 times, but 24-7-365.
We need to keep on hearing that message until Christ returns or calls us home. Because we’re sinful people and this sin-darkened world is full of distractions, temptations, and challenges that the devil uses to try and steal our focus and attention away from our loving God and what he has done for us.
The temptation is to get us to think, “I’ve heard this before.” Or “I already know that God loves me—I already know what Jesus did for me.” Or “I’m going through some pretty big health challenges right now. Does God’s love really endure forever? Does he really love me?”
Turn through the pages of Scripture, dear Christian. See the record, time and time again, of God keeping his promises. All of them. Not one of them has been broken. Not one of them will ever be broken.
Looking for a small sample?
Read through Psalm 136. Trace the promises made to his people, Israel—and kept—by God. By faith, those promises extend all the way to you and me. He has indeed remembered us, his people, in our low estate and freed us from our enemies.
God sent his Son Jesus to live a perfect life in our place, to die the death we deserve for our sins, and to rise again from the grave so we can know without a doubt that our God keeps all of his promises—we’re his dearly loved children; heaven is our home.
No matter what life looks like here, no matter what we’re going through or struggling with, we’re God’s dearly loved children in Christ Jesus. Heaven is our home. Not because we deserve it, but all because of the Lord’s faithfulness, mercy, and love.
How many times do we need to hear about God’s love?
All the time. And even after we’ve just heard it, may our prayer always be, “Thank you, God! Please, God, let me hear it again!”
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
Looking to be in God’s Word every day? Meditations: Daily Devotional® is a personal and inspiring devotional booklet offering a brief yet thought-provoking Bible study every day. Each quarterly issue is clearly and accurately written, with daily Bible verses, devotions, and prayers for that quarter. Through focus on and faith in God’s true Word, Meditations provides guidance and encouragement for daily living.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House and a 2023 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. He enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation with his family.
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