Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever.
Who remembered us in our lowly state, for His mercy endures forever.
And rescued us from our enemies, for His mercy endures forever.
Who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3, 23-26)
If you're like me, 2020 has been a crazy year, filled with lots of reasons to be unhappy and bitter. But that spirit comes from forgetting what is most important, which, despite what every Hallmark movie has told you, is not family, community, or small-town living. The most important things to remember, and the reason I will be giving thanks this year with vigor, is because God has not changed. He is still more than worth thanking and praising! That's the lesson we see in Psalm 136.
Psalm 136 is one of those psalms that totally upends any complaints about the repetitive nature of contemporary worship songs. It is a 26-verse psalm with each verse consisting of two lines. The first line is different, but the second line is the same repetition in each verse: "For His mercy endures forever." It is a psalm that calls on Israel, God's people, to give thanks to God for His greatness. God is praised for His creation (v.4-9), for delivering Israel from her enemies (v.10-22), and for raising her out of a low estate (v.23-26). An overview of God's great works is rehashed and all Israel is meant to respond with gratitude. But the most important that Israel must remember, and the chief reason for them to give thanks to the Lord, is that His mercy endures forever. His steadfast, covenant love, in fulfillment of all His covenant promises, remains the same.
This is good news for the end of our 2020, friends! God's love for His people has not diminished, changed, or wavered. His mercy still endures and will endure forever. Our Creator is also our Redeemer and Friend. He has saved us, He is saving us, and He will save us. Whether you and your family are able to gather this year, or not; whether your holiday traditions are all kept up, or not; whatever the situation, this one thing remains constant: God is good and His mercy endures forever. Give Him thanks in all things and enjoy the blessings and the trials that He has sent you this year!
+ Blessings in Christ +
