THE POWER OF REMEMBERING
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Opening Prayer
Father in Heaven, incline my heart and mind toward you today, and as I worship you, accept my gratitude for all you have done for me.
Read PSALM 136
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea[a] asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.
17 to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 136:13 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 15
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
If you only had in your possession what you thanked God for today, what would you have?
Psalm 136 is unique among the psalms in that it employs a repeated refrain, ‘His love endures forever.’ I wonder if, as you read, you took time to take a breath and read this refrain each time? If, like me, you often succumb to the tendency to skim over repeated phrases, I invite you to find time at some point today to pause, read again, and take a moment to consider each verse, breathing in the enduring love of God.
The psalmist gives us a wonderful framework for expressing thanksgiving. Initially, praise is focused on what is visible in the present; then it proceeds to dwell on God’s faithfulness in the past. We are reminded here that every good and perfect gift comes from him and, despite our own failing, the love of God still endures forever. God’s faithfulness in the past and the assurance of his current presence give us all such a firm foundation and hope for what lies ahead.
This may sound like an odd question, but I wonder if you’ve ever written a psalm? Take a moment to look at the beauty of this day. The sun rose this morning and will set tonight—only God can cause astonishing things like that to happen. You may face challenging circumstances today, so take time to consider his faithfulness in the past. How about using the refrain of this psalm to sandwich each reason you have to give praise? I’ve just done this myself and stuck my words of thankfulness into my Bible as my psalm. I know that we are commanded not to add or subtract from the Scriptures,1 but I think God will be okay with this.
Apply
Paul urges us to ‘give thanks in all circumstances.’2 Take a moment to reflect on your circumstances and rejoice that your Savior is right there with you.
Closing prayer
Thank you, Father, for your work in the past, for your presence and provisions today, and for your promises for tomorrow and eternity.
1 Deut 4:2 2 1 Thess 5:18
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