I’m continuing to grow in my love relationship with God, learning to understand His great love for me more and more. I’m also growing to love Him more each day. It gets easier to love Him the more I get to know Him and understand the extravagant dimensions of His love for me (Eph. 3:14-18, The Message.)
Psalm 136 is all about God’s faithful love for us. My prayer for you is that you will be able to grasp how much the Lord loves you and as you do that you will grow to love Him more and more.
He is good (verse 1)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:1 NLT
The Message says, “Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits.”
Meditate on this verse. What is the Lord saying to you through it?
Thank God for His unconditional, never-ending love for you.
The God of gods (verse 2)
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. – Psalm 136:2 NIV
Meditate on God’s love that endures forever. What does that mean to you?
Wikipedia defines unconditional love as: “a term that means to love someone regardless of the loved one’s qualities or actions.”
Ask the Lord to reveal His unconditional love to you today.
The lights in the sky (verses 7–9)
Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights— His faithful love endures forever. the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever. and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:7-9 NLT
I used to read Psalm 136 skipping over the last part of each verse, “His faithful love endures forever.” It just seemed so repetitive. Why do you think God repeated Himself so many times in this chapter? If you’re anything like me, you probably need to be reminded over and over about how much God loves you. Think about that today.
Go outside sometime today, preferably right now, and look at the lights in the sky. How do they reveal God’s love for you? If you’re not sure, ask God to show you.
Love that rescues (verse 10)
Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:10 NLT
How on earth can God killing the firstborn of Egypt show you and me His faithful love? Think about that.
God killed all the firstborn to save His people, to rescue them. It was the only way that Egypt would let the Israelites leave, because they were slaves there. You can read the story in Exodus.
Thank God He loves you enough to do whatever needs to be done to save you.
A strong hand and powerful arm (verse 12)
He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:12 NLT
How have you seen God act with a strong hand or a powerful arm in your life? If you don’t think you have, ask the Lord to show you what He has done in your life.
Sit back and bask in God’s unconditional love for you that never quits, no matter what you may do.
How can knowing that God takes us in His powerful hand, just like He did with Israel, help you manage your stress better?
Love revealed in unusual ways (verses 14–15)
He led Israel safely through the Red Sea, His faithful love endures forever. but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:14-15 NLT
God shows His love for us in some very unusual ways sometimes, like He did in these verses. Think about why God hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
Meditate on God’s great love for you today once again. How has He shown it to you? If you can’t feel it, ask Him to show you. He does love you, even if you can’t feel it. I went for several years questioning God’s love for me, because of all the tragedies I had been through. I began to think those things meant that God didn’t love me. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
What are some of the most unusual ways that God has revealed His love for you?
Through the wilderness (verse 16)
Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:16 NLT
Do you ever feel like you’re wandering around in a wilderness? Do you think God might be there leading you?
God shows His love to us when He leads us through the dry and hard times in our lives, although often it doesn’t feel like it. Think about some of those periods in your life. How did God show you His love during those times?
God has shown me His love during the hard times of my life, like when my baby was dying. During those difficult months, I could feel His arms around me holding me up. Or after my fiancé was killed on his motorcycle, I could hear the Lord reminding me of verses about His love and care for me, as I lay curled in my bed sobbing.
Thank Him. If you can’t see His love in those hard situations, ask Him to show you.
Wilderness times can be very stressful. During those times, knowing God’s faithful love can help you manage your stress. Ask God to show you how His love can help with your stress management.
He remembers us in our weakness (verse 23)
He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:23 NLT
Think about this. God remembers you in your weakness. He understands that we are weak, because He created us. I have grown to appreciate my weaknesses, because it’s in my weaknesses that He can be strong.
In 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Paul says, “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (New Living Translation).
Thank God that He remembers you in your weaknesses and He loves you even though you are weak. His faithful love will not change because you are weak.
Declare what Paul did, “God’s grace is all I need. His power works best in my weakness!”
Thank the God of heaven (verse 26)
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:26 NLT
Our God is the God of Heaven. He created heaven and earth and He reigns over both. What does it mean to you today that He is the God of heaven?
Let’s give thanks to our great God once again. Thank Him for His love that never quits.
Do you think there is a tie between our giving thanks and understanding God’s love for us? If so, what is the link and how have you seen it in your life.
I have seen in my own life that the more I focus on God and thank Him for everything He does, the more I experience His love. When I’m thankful, my love relationship with God grows. How about you?
How has God’s faithful love helped you manage your stress?