This blog post from 3 years ago popped up on my Facebook feed and I was stopped in my tracks and reminded anew how important it is to remember that God's love endures. No matter what my circumstances seem to be, no matter my perspective, no matter what I see....his love endures forever. So, I'm sorry, on a blog with such infrequent posts, to repeat myself...but this needs to be on here twice. (Reposted and edited, from Jan.22, 2013)
I read Psalm 136 today in morning devotions. Here's a snippet - in case you need a reminder of this great Psalm (complete text at the bottom of this post):
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.
So....I was reading this text again - like I've read it many, many times before but this time I was actually reading the words outloud. All of them. Even the repeated refrain "His love endures forever" which I (and I'm probably not the only one) skip over or just read in our heads. It struck me as I read all the good, and bad things in the first parts of the stanzas that ALL of them ended with "His love endures forever" no matter how wonderful or horrible the action seemed - creating the sun, or killing kings.
And then I wondered...WHAT IF I read my life like that.
I mean, I KNOW it in my head - that God's love endures forever; that he loves me; that he works all things together for good....
but what if I actually SAID it outloud like that - attached to the good, and the bad.
I woke up this morning wide awake and breathing.
His love endures forever.
My coffee was great and devotions were challenging
His love endures forever.
It's -43 with the windchill outside and I have to walk to school.
His love endures forever.
My van is in the garage and getting it back today will mean a big bill
His love endures forever.
My son got a part in the community play "The Sound of Music."
His love endures forever.
My daughter did not get the part she auditioned for.
His love endures forever.
You see how this could go on and on....I could list every good or bad (in my perspective) thing that happens in my day/life....and still, His love would endure and every little thing in my life would filter through that understanding. I think this would change my perspective on a lot of things. I think I might start to see many more things as gifts from my loving Heavenly Father. I also think I might begin to see HOW he's working things together for my good instead of being frustrated that I can't always see it.
Today's Edit:
It's Monday - first day of a new semester of school.
His love endures forever.
I'm loving my job this year.
His love endures forever.
My son has unrelenting headaches from post-concussion syndrome.
His love endures forever.
I am on a roller-coaster with another child.
His love endures forever.
I'm going back to school.
His love endures forever.
My bills are piling up.
His love endures forever.
The coffee is good this morning.
His love endures forever.
His love endures forever.
As promised: the entire text of Psalm 136
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 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.
His love endures forever.
