GOD'S LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

Psalm 136 speaks of God's love enduring forever. Verses 1 to 9 say, "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. To him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. Who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. Who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. Who made the great lights—His love endures forever. The sun to govern the day; His love endures forever. The moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever." The phrase "His love endures forever" is repeated 26 times in this Psalm. Every time the Psalmist describes who God is or what God has done to the nation of Israel, he responds by saying the phrase. Psalm 136 is considered a thanksgiving psalm for God's love endures forever. Psalm 136:23-26 says, "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."

The love that is mentioned in this Psalm is the kind of love that is loyal. It is the love that is not based on feelings, but is based on faithfulness. God loves everything that He created, including us. He sustains us because He chose to love us. It is incredible how God loves us even when we did not even exist. He loves us when we are still in His thoughts. Ephesians 1:4 says, "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." We should not fall into the misconception that God's love is measured by the extent of His material blessings or by how much He protects us from pain and suffering. When God allowed the nation of Israel to go through slavery in Egypt for more than 100 years, God never stopped loving them. He sustained them in their sufferings, and in due time, He led them away from Egypt to the land that God had promised them to have. There are situations that God allows us to go through suffering and pain so that we can realize how much He loves us. When we are too focused on ourselves, we become unaware of God because our attention is all about ourselves, but when God takes away our attention to ourselves by allowing us to go through things, then we become aware of Him and His love. 

God's love for us endures forever. God is going to carry us through this life because He loves us faithfully. No matter what we are going through right now, we should trust God that He is at work in our lives. Always remember that God's love towards us is beyond and bigger than our feelings and thoughts.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What kind of love does God have for me? Do I trust God's love? If I believe that God faithfully loves me, how should I live in the midst of my current situation?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven, I am so thankful for your love because you have been with me, taking care of me. Thank you for faithfully loving me despite my failures, mistakes, and sins. I believe that no matter what I am going through today, I will carry through because of your love. Please help me to trust and obey you. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.