His steadfast love endures forever

Psalm 136:1–26 (ESV): 

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; 

 10  to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 11  and brought Israel out from among them, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 12  with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 13  to him who divided the Red Sea in two, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 14  and made Israel pass through the midst of it, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 15  but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 16  to him who led his people through the wilderness, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 17  to him who struck down great kings, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 18  and killed mighty kings, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 19  Sihon, king of the Amorites, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 20  and Og, king of Bashan, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 21  and gave their land as a heritage, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 22  a heritage to Israel his servant, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

 23  It is he who remembered us in our low estate, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 24  and rescued us from our foes, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 25  he who gives food to all flesh, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

 26  Give thanks to the God of heaven, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

This account of the greatness of God, from being the creator to the God who saw Israel through every step, hurdle, and barrier in the wilderness, demonstrates that every success, every difficulty, every wonderful thing is because, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’. You could write your own version of your life in this style. For from the moment you took your first breath til your last, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’. 

I was unwell and people feared for my life, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

Now i am restored and well, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’

At the times when i felt most alone and afraid, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

As i became a wife, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

We have moved to different places 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

At times, suffering terrible grief, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

When there doesn’t seem to be enough,

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

our needs have always been met,

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’

God sees, remembers and responds

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’

Why don’t you give it a go? Think about key themes or elements of your life and repeat to yourself that, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’ after each one. These things have happened and been experienced, but through them all, you can always know God’s committed adoration towards you. His love, power, protection, peace and presence are for eternity. He is in every moment, every challenge, trial and success of life. He wants to commiserate and celebrate with you throughout your life. Are you acknowledging His presence with you in every season? What moments has God been in with you? Think about it, allow yourself the opportunity to acknowledge God’s presence; past, present and future. No matter what you face, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’. How incredible is that! No wonder this psalm ends, ‘Give thanks to the God of heaven’. God deserves your recognition and praise for He has been through all that you have. He has rescued you, protected you, healed you, provided for you, and loved you through it all. His steadfast love certainly does endure forever.

Loved eternally, beyond measure and mistakes

 Psalm 117:1–2 (ESV): 

Praise the Lord, all nations! 

Extol him, all peoples! 

 2  For great is his steadfast love toward us, 

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. 

 Praise the Lord! 

Short and sweet this psalm, a mere two verses. Yet, take the time to consider their focus and you can spend hours letting them lead you to worship the God they speak of!

Firstly, there is an invitation for all people to worship God, all people! Written at a time when Israel was the only holy nation, the only people with the ark of the covenant, or a temple to the Living God. When specific stipulations and cleansing rituals had to be completed before entering this temple, the psalmist uses his few lines to tell ALL people to honour, love and praise the same God. God has always wanted everyone to come to Him. From all walks of life, all nations of the Earth, young and old, rich and poor, no matter how perfect or imperfect, capable or not, intelligent or not, healthy or not, all people are invited and welcomed to praise the Lord! You do not have to be perfect, sin-free or righteous to approach God, just willing to say yes because you’ve been invited! God loves you so much, He wants to meet you and for you to get to know who He is.

This psalm states, ‘For great is his steadfast love toward us’. Are you seeking to be loved? God’s love is so great that He can invite all people to share His heart and His love. His love is big enough to include everyone into His family. His love is so strong and secure that He can accept and forgive anyone and everyone, no exceptions. No matter what - His love never fails, never wears down, never fades, never gets fed up, never has enough and never walks out on you. His love instead is, 'steadfast' and ‘endures forever’! 

Do you want to receive this kind of love today? To know that you are;  loved unconditionally, without compromise or conditions and welcomed whether you have had a good day or not, behaved well or not. This love is available to you. It is available to all people and can only be found in one place. The Lord our God loves you like that. Stop seeking for this steadfast love in other places, other people and other things, they will only disappoint you, they cannot love you like this. Only the Living God can provide you eternal, steadfast love. His love is available right now, do you accept it?

You can accept and revel in being loved beyond measure, beyond mistakes and successes, beyond background and culture, beyond yesterday and today, for great is His steadfast love towards you. Praise the Lord!

Stupid Thoughts

 Psalm 92:1–15 (ESV):  

1  It is good to give thanks to the Lord, 

to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 

 2  to declare your steadfast love in the morning, 

and your faithfulness by night, 

 3  to the music of the lute and the harp, 

to the melody of the lyre. 

 4  For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; 

at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 

 5  How great are your works, O Lord! 

Your thoughts are very deep! 

 6  The stupid man cannot know; 

the fool cannot understand this: 

 7  that though the wicked sprout like grass 

and all evildoers flourish, 

  they are doomed to destruction forever; 

 8  but you, O Lord, are on high forever. 

 9  For behold, your enemies, O Lord, 

for behold, your enemies shall perish; 

all evildoers shall be scattered. 

 10  But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; 

you have poured over me fresh oil. 

 11  My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; 

my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 

 12  The righteous flourish like the palm tree 

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 

 13  They are planted in the house of the Lord; 

they flourish in the courts of our God. 

 14  They still bear fruit in old age; 

they are ever full of sap and green, 

 15  to declare that the Lord is upright; 

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

Do you have stupid thoughts? Do you ever believe that the wickedness in the world is going to prevail? If so, this is a stupid thought (v6-7). ‘Though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish; they are doomed to destruction forever’! ‘But you, O Lord, are on high forever’. Notice how both of these verses talk about ‘forever’. There is an assurance for the wicked and for God for eternity. Both will last forever, but there is a difference in their eternal destiny.

God is inviting you to have a longer viewpoint. Instead of worrying about the evil that is around and what is going on in the here and now, consider what will be forever. The present is only relevant for this moment, tomorrow it is history. In the here and now evil exists and there are people that perform wicked deeds. Yet the promise for eternity is that God’s ‘enemies shall perish, all evildoers shall be scattered’ and ‘the righteous flourish like the palm tree’. This is the long view, this is what you should focus on. The things that are evil are, ‘doomed to destruction forever’. They have eternal death as their promise. So, ultimately they will not prevail, therefore do not waste time concerning yourself about such things. Instead consider God who is on high and will be forever. 

When you fix your eyes on God, give your life to Him and follow Him you will, ‘flourish like the palm tree’. That sentence at first confused me for i did not understand the sentiment. Then i considered and researched and discovered that palm trees can grow in difficult conditions. Surviving droughts, storms and floods because of their root system. In fact, in a storm even if they are bent over horizontally by high winds, looking deformed and destroyed, they straighten up afterwards and can grow stronger roots as a result. This makes the palm tree more stable after a storm than it was before it! So, think of yourself as that flourishing palm tree, ‘planted in the house of the Lord’. Storms may feel like they are destoying you, but you'll straighten up again, you will be upright and have deeper roots if you weather the storm ‘planted in the house of the Lord'. So rather than concerning yourself with the wickedness of the world, focus on living with God; being righteous, stable, growing strong and fruitful. Knowing that even in the troubles of life that knock you sideways, when you stick to God, you will become stronger and straighter in the long run. For God says you will ‘flourish’. You will not be destroyed when you depend on Him, instead you have the promise of fruitfulness and favour for eternity. 

Consider then what you allow your mind to dwell upon. Are your thoughts sometimes stupid? Do you allow worry to consume you or concern yourself with the news and wickedness? For, 'The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand'. If you insist on focussing on what is temporal rather than what is eternal, you will be stuck. Your progression will be limited as your view is too short, it is in the here and now and God is wanting you to play the long game. Think about someone who knows they have exams in a few months time. They could think that it's too far away to concern themselves with it today. Instead they eat, drink, have fun, go out, giving no thought to what is coming up as it is in the future. How are they going to fare in exam season? What about if they chose to revise now, to practice, look at exam papers, research and prepare for the day they know is coming. Although it may seem far off and other people are not doing the same kind of preparation, how would you expect their exams to go? How about you? Are you thinking about the long game of faith? Are your thoughts overrun by the knowledge that God exists and is righteous, good and on High, or do thoughts about the reign of evil darken your mind? Set your mind to consider the long game. You get to decide what you think about, so don't entertain stupid thoughts. Remind yourself that no matter what is going on now,  evil won’t last for it is ‘doomed to destruction forever', ' but you, O Lord, are on high forever'.

So set your mind to have the long view - evil loses and righteousness wins, forever. You will never understand God or His ways. He has greater insight and foresight than anyone because He sees the eternal perspective not only the present. He was there at the beginning, has been all the way through and will continue to be and He has known what He is doing all that time. He planned for there to be an Adam and Eve, Noah, Josiah, Hosea, Ruth, Isaiah and Jesus. He saw all they would face and the eternal impact of their obedience. He has the same knowledge and understanding for your life. Your life has impact beyond your years, so learn to trust in Him and follow Him even when life gets tough and confusing. God sees the storms as opportunities for you to be strengthened, your relationship with Him deepened and your life to display fruit. Keep your focus on Him, not on the storm. For God is good, He is intelligent, He has a plan and a purpose and sees the end goal. You do not. Therefore give up the stupid thoughts and lean into God and His understanding. The storms of life will then make you taller, straighter and stronger, forever.

How far does your thanksgiving go?

 Psalm 79:1–13 (ESV):  

1  O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; 

they have defiled your holy temple; 

they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 

 2  They have given the bodies of your servants 

to the birds of the heavens for food, 

the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. 

 3  They have poured out their blood like water 

all around Jerusalem, 

and there was no one to bury them. 

 4  We have become a taunt to our neighbours, 

mocked and derided by those around us. 

 5  How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? 

Will your jealousy burn like fire? 

 6  Pour out your anger on the nations 

that do not know you, 

 and on the kingdoms 

that do not call upon your name! 

 7  For they have devoured Jacob 

and laid waste his habitation. 

 8  Do not remember against us our former iniquities; 

let your compassion come speedily to meet us, 

for we are brought very low. 

 9  Help us, O God of our salvation, 

for the glory of your name; 

deliver us, and atone for our sins, 

for your name’s sake! 

 10  Why should the nations say, 

“Where is their God?” 

  Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants 

be known among the nations before our eyes! 

 11  Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; 

according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die! 

 12  Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbours 

the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord! 

 13  But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, 

will give thanks to you forever; 

from generation to generation we will recount your praise. 

Can you imagine such devastation? Those who have lived through wars may be able to empathise and understand something of what Asaph saw and experienced. Utter devastation, disgust and despair. Seeing not only your country overrun, but the holy place of God’s dwelling destroyed and the people desperate and dying through violence and neglect, their bodies even eaten by creatures. The sights, the smells surrounding those that remained alive. Living day by day in terror. It is difficult and horrific to imagine. The country of Israel was invaded and defeated, ruined and derided by ‘the nations’. Every person in the country suffered - the faithful and unfaithful, young and old, man and woman went through this trauma. Not only physical suffering but the emotional abuse of being derided and mocked is added to the Israelite’s plight.

Can you imagine suffering in such a way? Let alone suffering in such a way and still giving thanks to, honouring, loving and following God throughout? Asaph does. He describes the situation, and cries out to God for relief, release and restoration of God’s people. Then he exclaims, ‘But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever’. Wow! Amidst the taunts, grief and hardship Asaph and the people with him are still grateful. Are you?

Asaph grasped something of the greatness, mightiness, constancy and majesty of God. He knows God is good and glorious, so much so that he continues to see it even in the midst of desecration, desolation and destruction. Just because the situation is awful, it doesn’t change the nature of God. Asaph understood that God is forever good, and He always loves His people. Therefore Asaph set his mind to seek and worship Him. Asaph acknowledged that God is compassionate and powerful. He is salvation, and remains the Shepherd of Israel no matter where they are, what they have done or are going through. Even though the situation of the nation was shocking, Asaph and the Israelites acknowledged God’s goodness and expressed gratitude to Him. 

God is always worthy of praise. He remains glorious, good and great, loving and protective, strong and compassionate no matter what is happening. In a changing and demoralising world, God is faithful and constant in His love and compassion. Therefore He is worthy of praise no matter what. If the Israelites can 'recount your (God's) praise' forever during the invasion of their territory and the degradation of their people, How much more do you have to be grateful for? 

How far does your thanksgiving go? Will you 'give thanks to you  (God) forever' no matter what you face?