Pastor Fredo Ramos: We continue praying through the Psalms, and today we come to Psalm 136. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.
He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever. He led Israel safely through. His faithful love endures forever. Down in verse 17, give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings.
His faithful love endures forever. Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance. His faithful love endures forever. A special possession to his servants Israel, his faithful love endures forever. He remembered us in our weaknesses.
He saved us from our enemies. Verse 25, he gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever. And finally, verse 26, give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.
Now your translations might have that phrase, that kind of refrain, italicized as a way to maybe mark and signify when it's time to sing, when it's time to give praise. Meaning Psalm one thirty six, by way of our reflection now, is both a prayer that tells us truths about God, but is also meant to lead us to worship God. I mean, it's it's one thing to have your truthful propositions about God, but those propositions should lead you to praise. Our propositions today should lead us to praise. Meaning, it's one thing to believe who God is and what he's done.
It's another thing to declare his faithful love, his committed love endures forever. For Israel as they understand all that God has done for them, whether it's delivering them, whether it's creating the world, whether it's providing food, whether it's defeating their enemies, they all frame it in the understanding that God is faithfully loving them. Ultimately, all that God does is to direct us to his committed love for us. It is one thing to know truths. It's another thing to praise him for those truths.
And so ask yourself today, where do you find yourself? Just believing who God is, knowing what he's done, but is it leading you to a place of worship, to a place of joy, to a place of repeating yourself over and over and over that his faithful love endures forever. Jesus, we hear you now inviting us into a place of repetition, a place where we say the same thing over and over. Why? Because you have done the same thing over and over.
You have faithfully loved us. You've committed your love to us. And so whether we see you creating, whether we see you delivering, whether we see you bringing justice to the world, your love endures forever. May we be recipients of that love today, and we may offer it to other people as well. In Jesus name, amen.