When you want to convey something of great importance, whether in a workplace environment, or teaching your children, having that person repeat your instructions back to you helps to ensure the accuracy of your message. Psalm 136 uses the same method to teach us a foundational truth about God.
Steadfast. Love. These are strong, solid words that communicate their meaning. For instance, steadfast: faithful, always present, never alone, will not leave, always listening, always paying attention, working on our behalf, forever.
And love: what comes to your mind when you hear this word? For some of us our past can radically color the meaning of this word but the accepted definition is, "an intense feeling of deep affection." Other descriptions of the word include, passion, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, delight, taking pride in, safety, always present, selfless, always seeking the best, and so many other descriptions.
But the fact remains that Creator God is telling us that He loves us, repeatedly, (26 times just in this Psalm) as He seeks to plant this truth deep into our soul.
In the time period when this Psalm was written, there was no printing press, so one of the favorite methods used to teach was to declare a statement of truth and then have the student respond in kind. That is exactly what God is doing in this Psalm. The first part of each verse is describing an act of God, an example of one of the countless acts that God has done for His creation. Then the response of the reader is to state, "for His steadfast love endures forever."
Think about it. God’s steadfast love endures our fickleness, persists through our unbelief, remains unchanging during our rebellions, as He pursues us with a raging passion. God’s love for us — fixed, firm, and constant — continues to exist regardless of our feelings, our response to Him, or our circumstances. We can always rely on the steadfast love of the Lord.
But God knew that we needed reminders.
I remember a Pastor teaching us how to make this Psalm a unique statement of gratitude by customizing this Psalm to our own life. For example: "I give thanks to God, who protected me in the following area ________________, for His steadfast love endures forever." Try listing as many times as you can where God has moved in your life, maybe protecting you through a storm, or providing for you during a season of need. And then, after you write down these occurrences in your life, don't forget to add the second part of each stanza, "for His steadfast love endures forever."
When the next big challenge looms dark and ominous on the horizon of your life, choose to praise God for His steadfast love, which endures forever. Join with the psalmist in proclaiming:
“It is He who remembered us in our low estate, for His steadfast love endures forever; and rescued us from our foes, for His steadfast love endures forever; He who gives food to all flesh, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:23-26).
Let me close with a favorite story that I was taught as a young child:
Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she couldn't imagine living another day with such struggles. She was tired and despaired during this challenging season of her life. It seemed like just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot.
He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.
After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”
“Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
“Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
Her father then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity– the boiling water.
However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.
The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they not only adapted, they changed their environment and created something new.
“Which are you,” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean? “
In our life here on earth, adversity, trials, and challenges will be our constant companion. How should we respond? Will we choose to be grateful and to seek out the One who is faithful, whose love never ends? The will of God makes it crystal clear how He commands us to respond. For He knows that in this correct response, is the secret to living a life of joy, despite your challenges.
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
