God's love endures forever. Psalm 136:1-26
When my children were young and under my direct authority, I wasn't a fan of repeating my instructions.
To do so only mimicked the behavior of a cuckoo clock and, worse, taught those rascals to stall because ... "If we don't obey first time, momma will repeat herself."
Thankfully, God the Father has purposeful intention and very good reason to be repetitive.
In Psalm 136, 'God's love endures forever' appears in all 26 verses, following a praise for the many ways he'd demonstrated his love to his people.
Soon after my parents met in July, 1945, they fell in love. Oh how they fell!
But their love was brutally tested when Dad was commissioned by the Navy to serve a year long assignment at Moffett Field in California.
During the agonizing separation, they corresponded via letters, writing repetitive phrases that served the purpose of deepening their love and commitment ...
I'll love you 'til the end of time.
Our love is forever.
You are the only one for me.
Their letter writing continued over the course of 5 years while each was finishing school, fulfilling military obligations, starting careers, laying the ground work for a future together.
A willingness to endure provided the jet fuel in their relationship (for which I and my five siblings are exceedingly grateful).
The frequency of repetition in Psalm 136 is meant to assure we know ...
1. God loves us.
2. His love endures forever.
His enduring love sustains us when the love of others fails. Because it does.
Our capacity to love God and others is limited by our self-seeking sin nature.
Whether we realize it or not, there's always a small part of us that loves for the benefit it is to us.
God love for us is without condition. He freely proclaims his love and purposefully repeated the enduring nature of it.
Twenty six times.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
(It's okay if you want to stop and count those or verify it in your Bible. I'll wait ...)
Being a good father, God knows we need this truth chiseled into our memory to sustain us when we doubt.
Throughout your comings and goings today, may the fervent repetition of God's unfailing, enduring love whisper sweet assurance into your heart.
Thanks for reading!
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Until next time,
MARY'S FICTION SHELF
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