God's Love Endures Forever

 

 

It was May 7, and Roger Simms was hitchhiking his way home, having been discharged from the Army. He flashed his hitchhiking sign at a car, but almost lost hope for a ride when he noticed it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his amazement the car stopped. As Roger entered the car from the passenger’s side, he noticed that the driver was a handsome, well-dressed man, who appeared to be in his fifties. “Going home for keeps?” asked the driver. “Sure am,” Roger said. As the two conversed, Roger was able to find out that the driver’s name was Hanover.

Mr. Hanover owned and operated a business in Chicago—a rather successful business at that. The longer Roger talked to Mr. Hanover, the more impressed he felt to witness to him about Christ. Finally, when they were only thirty minutes away from Roger’s home, he got up the nerve to share Christ with Mr. Hanover, eventually asking him if he would like to receive Christ as his personal Savior. To Roger’s amazement, the gentleman immediately pulled the Cadillac to the side of the road, bowed his head and received Christ. Mr. Hanover thanked Roger, and said, “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”

Five years later, while packing for a business trip to Chicago, Roger found Mr. Hanover’s business card, given to him five years earlier. He decided he would look him up while in Chicago. After arriving in Chicago, Roger looked up Hanover Enterprises. The receptionist there told him that it would be impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but that he could see Mrs. Hanover if he wished. He was ushered into a beautiful office where a keen-eyed woman greeted him.

She extended her hand and said, “I understand you knew my husband.” “Yes. I was hitchhiking home after the war, and he gave me a lift.” “When was that?” Mrs. Hanover asked. “It was May 7, the day I was discharged from the Army,” Roger said. “Was there anything special about that day,” asked the lady. Roger hesitated for a moment. “Yes ma’am. I shared the Gospel with Mr. Hanover. He pulled over to the side of the road and leaned over the steering wheel and wept. He gave his heart to Christ that day.”

With that, Mrs. Hanover suddenly began to weep. She wept so hard her whole body shook. When she regained her composure, she said, “I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him.” “And where is Mr. Hanover now,” asked Roger. “He’s dead,” the lady said, struggling to speak. “He was killed in a car crash right after he dropped you off. He never got home.” Barely able to speak through her sobs, Mrs. Hanover then said, “You see—I thought God had not kept His promise. I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!”(J. Kirk Johnson, Why Christians Sin, 1992).

Psalm 136 was a popular hymn among the God's ancient people. The author of this psalm is not known but it was very probably composed by David and given to the Levites to sing every day. The Psalm is structured as a litany, each statement of God’s greatness answered by the same refrain: “His love endures forever.” Psalm 136 begins with the phrase "give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever". This phrase first appears in I Chronicles16:41 in a song sung during a grand public celebration when King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

David appointed singers whose job was to daily give thanks to the Lord saying, “his love endures forever”. Solomon his son followed his example. The phrase “his love endures forever” is found in Israel’s praise at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chron.5:1-13, 7:1-6). Ezra followed the same example. The phrase is found in Israel’s praise at dedication of the temple Ezra rebuild after captivity (Ezra 3:10-11). Jehoshaphat appointed singers to lead the army into battle singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His  love endures forever ”; the Lord routed the enemy (2 Chron. 20:21-22).  

Psalm 136 is a call to give thanks to God and it gives the reasons for giving thanks.  The Psalm commences with a three-fold praise to the Triune Lord (vv.1-3). Then it gives six notes of praise to the Creator (vv.4-9), six more for Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (vv.10-15) and seven for their journey through the wilderness and the entrance into Canaan (vv.16-22). It closes with two verses of gratitude for present mercy (vv.23-24).

Psalm 136 is sometimes called a “Hallelujah Psalm” because it contains no petitions, no complaints and no problems. Instead the Psalm rehearses God’s acts of goodness in history: creation, Israel redemption and personal life. Most likely the worship leader would read the first line of each verse and the congregation would respond, “His love endures forever.” The refrain is repeated 26 times. Psalm 118 repeats the affirmation “His love endures forever” five times.

The refrain was not filler; it served as congregational participation, ensuring every worshiper’s voice affirmed God’s enduring love. The refrain was the Spirit-inspired spotlight on who God is, anchoring every act the Psalm recounts to his steadfast love. By hearing and speaking the line “His love endures forever” 26 times, children and adults alike internalized the reality of God’s enduring love. Proverbs 7:2-3 says “guard my teachings as the apple of your eye... write them on the tablet of your heart”.

Psalm 136:1-3 says “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever”(Ps. 136:1-3). The opening verse is identical to Psalms 106:1, 107:1 and Psalm 118:1. The phrase “give thanks to the Lord” is repeated three times.  The Psalmist places gratitude first because thanksgiving is the gateway into God’s presence. We are told to enter His presence with thanksgiving and a joyful song (Ps.95:2). We are to enter his courts with praise, giving thanks to Him (Ps.100:4).

The motivation behind our thanksgiving is God’s goodness. Essentially he is goodness itself, practically all that he does is good. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made (Ps.145:9). The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him (Nah.1:7). Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the father” (James 1:17).

God’s goodness is rooted in His unchanging character (Malachi 3:6). He does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17); so his goodness is not seasonal or fickle. His goodness is not an occasional, dwindling resource, but one that is freshly available to sustain His people throughout life. People change, circumstances change, but God’s goodness does not. The goodness of God is a source of comfort and hope, as it assures believers of His righteous and just character.

Jeremiah witnessed national calamity .His book of Lamentations is a collection of dirges mourning the fall of Jerusalem. The first half of Chapter 3 is a heavy cataloguing of the intense suffering of the Jewish people. In verses 22-23, Jeremiah makes a pivot, moving from the depths of despair to the bedrock of God's character. He says “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness”. Amidst the devastation Jeremiah finds hope by anchoring his faith entirely in God's unchanging character and everlasting compassion.

When Job learnt that his children had died, “he fell to the ground in worship and said… The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”  In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:18-22). His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job replied “shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:9-10). Job was certain that God’s love endures forever, so he was not defeated by the devil.

God is perfectly good, infinitely good and permanently good. We need this reminder often because the devil repeatedly tries to get us to doubt it. During trials the enemy whispers, “If your God is so good, why is He letting you suffer like this”? If we concentrate solely on the difficulties of life we will find continual thanksgiving difficult.    But, if we choose instead to focus on God’s perfect goodness, unwavering love and great faithfulness through the trials, perpetual thanksgiving will be possible.

Psalm 145 is another David’s song of praise”. In the Psalm David says “I will praise your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise you ...Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise...I will meditate on your wonderful works.  I will proclaim your great deeds… and joyfully sing of your righteousness... The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does… The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does”. The Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant” (Ps 135:3-4).

The phrase,” His love endures forever” is one of the most precious phrases and promises in all of the scripture. Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38–39). Believers stand on bedrock, not shifting sand. God’s love outlasts all the problems of life. It transcends the troubles we face every day. It stretches beyond time’s horizon-unending, unbroken, undiminished. God’s love was active before creation and will be sung in eternity (Eph 1:4;1 Cor.13:8, TLB).

We live under the banner of unending love. As Psalm 136 repeatedly affirms, “His love endures forever.” Because that truth never changes, neither should our gratitude. Every new circumstance, success or challenge, meets the same refrain: “His love endures forever.” Psalm 136 invites you to anchor each moment in that reality, turning daily routines into continual thanksgiving. Giving thanks to our gracious God should not be seasonal, but perpetual. Psalm 136:1 invites us to vocalize praise, celebrating specific acts of God recorded in Scripture and remembered in our own lives.

Praise the Lord every day like David. Keep rehearsing God’s goodness in your life just as Psalm 136 rehearses Israel’s story. Make thankfulness habitual; Let the refrain “his love endures forever” punctuate every milestones, every day and even mundane tasks. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col. 3:17). Gratitude is never exhausted because God’s goodness never ceases. Let every conversation with Him echo that enduring refrain “his love endures forever”.

Begin the day echoing Lamentation 3:22-23; God’s compassions never fail, they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness! Each day recall specific blessings from God’s character, from His actions in history and from your experience. Keep a running list of daily blessings, big and small: unexpected provision, a timely word, a spared accident.  End the day by tracing God’s hand through its events. It is good to praise the Lord proclaiming his love in the morning and his faithfulness at night (Ps.92:2).

Verbally acknowledge God’s goodness when you notice His work in someone’s life (Philemon 1:4-5). Share testimonies in conversation and fellowships to keep God’s goodness fresh in community memory. Verbally acknowledge God’s help when sharing testimonies. Give praise to the Lord; make known among the nations what he has done (1 Chron.16:8). Practice these habits and thanksgiving will become a natural, daily response to the unchanging goodness of the Lord.

Giving thanks to the Lord is not a suggestion; it is a clear, literal call to live in continual gratitude. Gratitude is not optional for God's people; it is a continual rhythm. Daily thanksgiving is God’s will for every believer. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess.5:18). Always giving thanks to God the father for everything (Eph 5:20). We can give thanks in all circumstances and for all things because God’s love is constant, unchanging and everlasting.