Read: 1 Kings 19:1-21 & Acts 12:1-23 & Psalm 136:1-26 & Proverbs 17:14-15
Sometimes a word’s location in a sentence carries more meaning than the words themselves.
Psalm 136 is a retrospective. The focus is not on the author but on what was done for him. Verse 1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good / His love endures forever.” The author’s first line is a command to give thanks to God because He is good and His love will never fail or stop.
The rest of Psalm 136 gives examples of God’s unfailing love toward His people, from creation to their rescue from Egypt to their settlement of the Promised Land. Each line is followed by the refrain, “His love endures forever.” In writing, especially in poetry, the repetition of a phrase and the parallel nature of its structure is the writer screaming that this is something important, something vital.
“His love endures forever” is in the same place after each phrase, every time. It never changes. The repetition punctuates the meaning, that God’s love never changes and is eternal.
The author of Psalm 136 probably could have added a new phrase to the list each day, and yet you would still find “His love endures forever” following each line. As you pray today, think back at how you’ve seen God’s enduring love and give thanks for a Father who loves you today, tomorrow and always. No matter what.
