Psalms 136:1-16: a reflection

This psalm gives thanks to God for his goodness in creation and deliverance, and over every line runs one refrain, repeated again and again: his loving kindness endures forever. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, the psalm begins; for his loving kindness endures forever. And over every act, the making of the heavens, the spreading of the earth, the deliverance of his people, the same refrain returns: for his loving kindness endures forever. The repetition is the point: God's steadfast love does not run out, does not fail, does not come to an end, but endures forever, behind all his works, in creation and redemption alike. This shows that God's steadfast love endures forever, behind all his works. God's steadfast love endures forever; it does not run out or fail. Behind every one of God's works stands his enduring love. Give thanks, for God's love endures forever. The one constant behind all God's acts is his never-failing love.

Notice the refrain that runs through the whole psalm: for his loving kindness endures forever. It is repeated after every line, after every act of God the psalm recounts: after his goodness, after his making of the heavens and the earth and the great lights, after his delivering his people and leading them through the wilderness. Over creation and redemption alike, the same refrain returns: his loving kindness endures forever. The relentless repetition is itself the message: that behind all God's works, in all his dealings, stands one constant, his steadfast love, which endures forever, never running out, never failing, never coming to an end. This is a truth to give thanks for and to rest in. God's steadfast love is not fleeting or uncertain, given one moment and withdrawn the next; it endures forever. It stands behind all his works, in creation and in redemption, in the making of the world and the delivering of his people. And it stands behind his dealings with us: whatever he does, his steadfast love endures, never failing, never running out. We can give thanks for this enduring love, and rest in it: that the one constant behind all God's acts, and behind his dealing with us, is a love that endures forever. We do well to give thanks that God's steadfast love endures forever, and to rest in that never-failing love behind all his works. Give thanks that God's steadfast love endures forever, never failing. Behind all God's works stands his enduring, never-failing love. God's love does not run out or come to an end. Rest in the steadfast love of God that endures forever.

That is worth resting in, for God's steadfast love endures forever, standing behind all his works, and we can give thanks for it and rest in it, as this psalm repeats over every line. God's love can seem uncertain, given and withdrawn; but this psalm declares over every act of God that his loving kindness endures forever. His love does not fail. Give thanks that behind all God's works, and behind his dealings with you, stands a steadfast love that endures forever, never running out; and rest in it. Give thanks that God's steadfast love endures forever, standing behind all his works in creation and redemption alike, and rest in that never-failing love, as this psalm gives thanks to God for his goodness in creation and deliverance and runs over every line one refrain repeated again and again, that his loving kindness endures forever, beginning give thanks to the LORD for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever, and returning over every act, the making of the heavens, the spreading of the earth, and the deliverance of his people, to the same refrain, for his loving kindness endures forever; for the repetition is the point, that God's steadfast love does not run out or fail or come to an end but endures forever behind all his works, so that the relentless repetition is itself the message, that behind all God's works and in all his dealings stands one constant, his steadfast love enduring forever, which is a truth to give thanks for and rest in, since God's steadfast love is not fleeting or uncertain, given one moment and withdrawn the next, but endures forever, standing behind all his works in creation and redemption and behind his dealings with us, so that whatever he does his steadfast love endures, never failing or running out, and we can give thanks for this enduring love and rest in it, that the one constant behind all God's acts and behind his dealing with us is a love that endures forever, so that we do well to give thanks that God's steadfast love endures forever.