8/13 Psalm 136:1

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Ancient Israel frequently mentioned the steadfast love of the LORD. It is the most common characteristic of God described in the Old Testament. That is quite different from how many think of the Old Testament God. In this psalm, every one of the 26 verses ends with the phrase, "for his steadfast love endures forever".

Some of the reasons the psalmist lists are acts of creation, deliverance from bondage in Egypt, victory over their enemies, the gift of the Promised Land, remembering them when they weren't doing well, rescue from their enemies, and the provision of food for all people. It is a psalm that counts their blessings but also relates each blessing to the steadfast love of God.

What signs do you have of the steadfast love of the LORD? The psalmist went all the way back and thanked God for the dry land, the sun, and the moon and stars. Earth and our solar system are fine-tuned for the benefit of mankind. The people didn't understand all the science behind it when the psalm was written, but now we can see every detail was designed and adjusted by God.

What has God delivered you from? If you know Him as your Savior, you can thank Him for deliverance from slavery to self, from certain judgment, from a meaningless existence. We can thank Him for a relationship with Him through the good times and bad. All of these blessings and so many more are because "he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever".

Consider: I have encouraged you to list your blessings before, but this time as you list each one, consider how it demonstrates God's unfailing love toward you. Doing so regularly will not only help your attitude, but it will deepen your appreciation of God.