His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

Repetition. The process of repeating something over and over. There is great value in repetition. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that children learn to master a skill through repetition. It’s why they have homework sheets, quizzes, and practice tests before the real test is given. Repetition increases confidence and strengthens connections in the brain. It helps transition a skill or knowledge from the conscious to the subconscious. This is why we ask the children in Pioneer Club to write down their memory verses five times. This is why school teachers used to implement disciplinary tactics of having students write out 50 times, “I will not talk during class”. I believe this is also the reason behind the writing of Psalm 136. Repetition helps us remember.

We do not know the author of this psalm, but twenty-six times they repeat the words “his steadfast love endures forever.” It seems to me that maybe they needed to give themselves a reminder. Maybe the author was a young mom, bogged down by the continual pile of soiled diapers and dirty laundry. Perhaps these words were penned by a middle aged man, feeling the heaviness of life, tired of the rat race, and questioning the goodness of anything. Or could the psalmist have been a stressed out teenager, a depressed addict, a grieving widow, or a dying saint. I’m guessing whoever they were, they might have been in a bit of a funk, a pit of despair, or just down in the dumps. Yet they recognized their need to remember; to repeat what they already knew.

I need to remember. I grab a notebook and begin writing out the ancient words. Timeless words.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;

The psalm moves from declaring God’s love throughout creation, to recounting God’s salvation and preservation of his people. As I duplicate the biblical text in my notebook, I am convicted to remember my own story.

Here are a few of my own stanzas of gratitude: Give thanks…

To him who formed me in my mother’s womb, black hair and double chin; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who picked up the pieces of sticks and stones and words that hurt; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who accompanied me through the minefield of school hallways; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who sat at meetings with police officers and principals; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who picked me up from pride’s fall; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who helps abstract my foot from my mouth; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who breaks the chains of fear and anxiety and sets me free; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who bottles my tears and holds me tight; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who gives and takes away; his steadfast love endures forever

To him who saves me from myself; his steadfast love endures forever.

To him who loves me too much to leave me as I am; his steadfast love endures forever

I challenge you to repeat your own story and remember and give thanks. 26“Give thanks to the God of heaven, FOR HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.”

Erin Jacobsma

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *