Gettysburg Seventh-day Adventist Church

Scripture: Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1 (NKJV)

Observation: The words “His mercy endures forever” are a key phrase which occurs 26 times in this poem in reference to God’s goodness.  The word translated “mercy” is Hessed, which means, “divine love” “compassion,” or “steadfast love.”

Application: I supposed if we sang this psalm today it would be like a praise chorus or a responsive reading with the same words repeated again and again.  There’s probably a good reason for this repetition.  Sometimes we forget or take for granted God’s abundant mercy and His steadfast love for us – He simply will not give up on us!  The psalmist had experienced God’s overflowing mercy and expressed it repeatedly as a reminder to others, maybe even to himself.

I wonder if the psalmist also had in mind to teach us as married couples, as parents, as children, as families that we need to experience that steadfast love, that overflowing mercy, so that we can then extend it to our spouse, our children, our parents, our family!  We seem to find it easier to practice judgment, and are critical and unforgiving with our spouse’s mistakes.  We are impatient with our children when they do the opposite of what we want them to do.  As our parents age and their health begins to deteriorate we become frustrated – some even become abusive.  This psalm speaks to us, urging us to give thanks to God that His steadfast love, His abundant mercy, his overwhelming compassion, and to extend the same to our loved ones When we do, not only do we experience God in our lives but we become the extension of His love toward our loved ones who are also His children.

A Prayer You May Say: Father God, thank You for your mercy and love for us which last forever.  Thank you that You don’t turn Your back on us; instead, You have compassion for us, and reach out  to us to rescue us, to save us, to cover us with Your forgiveness and love.  Help us to be more compassionate, more loving with others, especially those closest to us.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.