Jonathan Munson, Executive Director
“His love endures forever…” Psalm 136:1
Have you ever had a song get stuck in your head?
Maybe it’s a new single from your favorite band or a catchy jingle from a commercial you’ve heard too many times on television. Whatever it is, there’s something about the lyrics and melody that keeps the tune on a continuous loop in your mind.
Whoever wrote Psalm 136 had an even greater purpose. They didn’t just want the psalm stuck in our heads; they wanted it to get stuck in our hearts.
The psalm celebrates the relentless, never-ending love of God and may have been sung as a responsive reading. Imagine the worship leader declaring God’s mighty works, with the congregation responding after every line:
“The Lord made the heavens. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:5).
“The Lord divided the Red Sea. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:13).
“The Lord remembered us in our low estate. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:23).
Like a broken record, the refrain is repeated a staggering twenty-six times. At first, it seems excessive to repeat it so frequently, but the repetition is intentional. God wanted His people to sing it until they believed it, until it became the soundtrack of their lives.
If we’re honest, life has a way of drowning out that song, doesn’t it?
Sometimes it’s our emotions. We question God’s love because we don’t feel it on a given day. But feelings are a poor indicator of truth. I can experience a thousand different emotions between breakfast and lunch! Thankfully, God’s love isn’t rooted in our ever-changing emotions; it’s rooted in His unchanging character. While our feelings fluctuate, God’s love never does. So, no matter how you may feel right now—happy, anxious, tired, or confused—quiet your soul and remember what’s true: His love endures forever.
Other times, it’s our circumstances. The challenges of life often grow so loud that we can no longer hear the song of God’s steadfast love. We’re tempted to think that when life’s going well, God loves us. And when life is difficult, that God doesn’t love us. But this isn’t the case. God’s love is constant through every circumstance.
The Israelites must’ve wrestled with this, too. Remember, these weren’t emotionless, robot-like Bible characters. These were real people with real emotions who’d endured slavery, wandered through the desert, and buried loved ones in the sand (Numbers 14:22-30). Yet through everything they’d experienced, one truth remained: His love endures forever.
Now, think about your story.
Mountaintops, valleys, and everything in between. You’ve celebrated in seasons of gladness and wept in seasons of grief. Though it might not have seemed that way at the time, God’s love was woven throughout every chapter of your story, even the painful ones.
When I walked through divorce…His love endures forever.
When I got hired…His love endures forever.
When the doctor called with the diagnosis…His love endures forever.
And here’s the good news: the song is still playing. The Apostle Paul echoes Psalm 136 when he writes, “I’m convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38,39).
When you look at your circumstances, you will begin to question God’s love. But when you look to the cross, you will see a Savior who demonstrated His love for you once and for all (Romans 5:8).
Whatever you’re up against today…
Keep believing.
Keep singing.
His love endures forever.
DIG DEEPER
Read “What Is Ultimate Love?” by Bryant Wright
