His Love Endures Forever: Advent Reflection on Psalm 136

And we might with good or otherwise intentions, we might say, okay, why? What is requesting my thanksgiving? Clearly that's what it's asking, but why should I give it? And the response the scripture gives us is because he is good, because God is good. Now, in today's world, we might hear that, and we might think that that is an abstract answer, or that it's a subjective statement, but it's actually quite the opposite. [00:53:24] (31 seconds)  #BecauseGodIsGood

This is an objective reality, this is a truth claim of who God is, that in the innermost beings of God, the innermost parts of God, there is only good, and it is to the fullness of who God is that he is good. Our psalm here is saying that the ultimate good, the superlative good, the good that our hearts yearn for, the good that our hearts desire, can only be sought for and received in God alone. [00:53:54] (31 seconds)  #GodIsAllGood

This is an objective reality, this is a truth claim of who God is, that in the innermost beings of God, the innermost parts of God, there is only good, and it is to the fullness of who God is that he is good. Our psalm here is saying that the ultimate good, the superlative good, the good that our hearts yearn for, the good that our hearts desire, can only be sought for and received in God alone. [00:53:54] (31 seconds)  #SupremeGoodInGod

And so our psalm here, it draws upon all the main highlights of that saving event, right? The death of the firstborn, God dividing the Red Sea, the Lord bringing them through dry ground in the midst of it, and you have these two towering walls of water that God then crashes down on the Egyptians and Pharaoh and destroys them, and he sets the Israelites free. [00:56:27] (21 seconds)  #RedSeaDeliverance

It places the reader or the singer right in the active story of God's work in creation and redemption. And here we are left wondering if we were to sing and pray this psalm where are we in this amazing hymn of God's good and marvelous works? If we join in with the psalmist where are we in that story? [00:58:55] (28 seconds)  #WhereAreWeInHisStory

It places the reader or the singer right in the active story of God's work in creation and redemption. And here we are left wondering if we were to sing and pray this psalm where are we in this amazing hymn of God's good and marvelous works? If we join in with the psalmist where are we in that story? [00:58:55] (28 seconds)  #JoinTheHymnOfGrace

so in psalm 136 we don't have this sure fire pinky promise from God we have that in the Bible we have that in other passages and yet today our psalm takes a little more consideration it's clearly visible and yet for some reason our hearts don't really catch it that way do you know what I'm referring tohis love endures forever right if I tell you that you're going to get something forever regardless of the circumstances that it will endure all things that's a promise that is a promise from God from creation to redemption in all facets God's love endures forever and nothing will overcome it nothing will remove it [01:02:23] (47 seconds)  #HisLoveEnduresForever

so in psalm 136 we don't have this sure fire pinky promise from God we have that in the Bible we have that in other passages and yet today our psalm takes a little more consideration it's clearly visible and yet for some reason our hearts don't really catch it that way do you know what I'm referring tohis love endures forever right if I tell you that you're going to get something forever regardless of the circumstances that it will endure all things that's a promise that is a promise from God from creation to redemption in all facets God's love endures forever and nothing will overcome it nothing will remove it [01:02:23] (47 seconds)  #EnduringLoveAlways