”Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.”
- Psalm 136:1-4 -

Psalms 135 and 136 go together in the Jewish liturgy as psalms of great praise. God is to be praised because He ‘alone does great wonders’ (v 4). The expressions ‘God of gods’ and ‘Lord of lords’ (vs 1–3) are superlatives that once more recount God’s supremacy– there is nothing greater or higher than the Lord. This alone should be grounds for worship, but to this is added the recognition of God’s goodness (v 1). God is the benevolent Creator who has created heaven and earth (vs 4–9) and every creature (v 25). God’s love and goodness to Israel are revealed especially in His acts of salvation (vs 10–14), protection (vs 17–22), and provision (vs 16,25). These are themes that should inspire the worship of God’s people whenever they meet.

Each of the 26 verses is followed by the refrain ‘His love endures forever’, alternatively translated as ‘Indeed, his steadfast love is eternal’. This is the repeated response of the people gathered for worship to bless God for his faithfulness to the covenant and the favor they have been shown.

Verse 23 recounts that God ‘remembered us in our low estate’ (or ‘in our degradation’), and this is surely a reference to the exile in Babylon when all Israel’s beliefs in God seemed to have proven false. It was not so, however: God’s steadfast love endures forever and in all circumstances and will never be overcome.

Closing Prayer: Dear God, I am amazed to think that Your love is forever. In a world of constant change, You are my rock!

(From Encounter with God)