136 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good.
God’s faithful love lasts forever!
2 Give thanks to the God of all gods—
God’s faithful love lasts forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of all lords—
God’s faithful love lasts forever.
4 Give thanks to the only one
who makes great wonders—
God’s faithful love lasts forever.
5 Give thanks to the one who made the skies with skill—
God’s faithful love lasts forever.
6 Give thanks to the one who shaped the earth on the water—
God’s faithful love lasts forever.
7 Give thanks to the one who made the great lights—
God’s faithful love lasts forever.
8 The sun to rule the day—
God’s faithful love lasts forever.
9 The moon and the stars to rule the night—
God’s faithful love lasts forever!
Reflection
Can you name something that lasts forever? I can’t think of anything. Everything we know of has an ending. Even our planet has finite water and oxygen and the Sun, the star we depend on for light, has a five billion year expiration date. So when we read today’s Psalm to the very last twenty-sixth verse, it proclaims, not once, but twenty-six times, that “God’s faithful love lasts forever!” We know that this is something that has been experienced by God’s people down through time, right to where we are today. We know that we can trust God to be with us in the good times and the tough times, now and forever into eternity.
This hymn of praise is an amazing affirmation that was made by people who have gone through times of hardship and were able to proclaim that “God’s faithful love lasts forever!” The psalm begins by telling us of the character of God, that God is good, loving, kind and merciful. That God is above all and is our creator God, of great wonders, the skies, the earth and the waters, the great lights and the sun and the moon and the stars. This song of praise
goes on to tell of the rescue of God’s people from their enemies, the restorer of their land, and the provider of food for all living things. And at the end of every verse is the refrain, “God’s faithful love lasts forever!” All through the centuries, God has had an unbreakable bond with us, God’s children. God has been faithful to us, even when we haven’t been faithful to God. Yet God continues to create, rescue, protect and nourish all who love God and are in a
relationship that trusts and depends on God. All of this is possible because of God’s great love for us, and because we are loved by God, we are called by Jesus to be the love of God to each other. By caring for each other we show God’s love to those who are homeless, sick, hungry and persecuted.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
This Psalm was originally sung with the priest reading the first stanzas and the congregation responding with “God’s faithful love lasts forever!” For this reason it has been called the The Great Praise. But why should we praise God? We praise God to acknowledge that God is our God. We worship God with praise to show our love and gratitude for all God has done for us.
This brings us closer to experiencing the presence of God in our lives. We praise God to remember God’s mighty acts of salvation through Jesus Christ. Praising God brings our focus off of ourselves and transforms our anxiety into joy, gratitude and thankfulness. And while praising God during our own devotion time each day is important for our spiritual growth, praising God together as a faith community unites us, as we recount all that God has done for
us and gives us strength to endure.
Lately, many of us don’t feel much like celebrating or praising. But we have so much to be thankful for and by giving praise to God for all that God has done for us in our lives, we can live a life of gratitude that proclaims, God loves us, forever!
What are the things in your life that you can praise God for in this season of Thanksgiving? Today try praising God when good or tough things happen by saying: “God loves us, Forever!”
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, we give thanks to you because you are the source of all love, mercy and goodness. We give you praise because no matter what is happening in our lives, you are faithful, and your love for us lasts forever. Help us to remember to praise you in the good times and especially in the hard times in our lives, so that we may draw ever closer to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
