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Psalm 136 - Praise God for His Goodness and Everlasting Love.

Psalm 136 - Praise God for His Goodness and Everlasting Love.

Psalm 136:1 (NIV) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His 
love endures forever. 

Psalm 136:1 (TEV) Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good; 
his love is eternal. 

The word translated "love/mercy" is chesed, which means, "divine 
love"  [SDA Bible Commentary] 

This is a hymn of thanksgiving and is commonly known as the 
Great Hallel (Praise). Its unique feature is the recurrence of the 
same refrain in each verse with the stress upon God's love/mercy. 
[Passages Of Life SB] 

Ps. 136 has been known among the Jews as the Great Hallel 
(Praise). The recurring refrain "for his mercy endureth for ever" was 
doubtless sung as a response, either by the worshipers or by a Temple 
choir. [SDA Bible Commentary] 

Repeated throughout this psalm is the phrase "His faithful love 
endures forever." This psalm may have been a responsive reading, with 
the congregation saying these words in unison after each sentence. 
The repetition made this important lesson sink in. God's love 
includes aspects of love, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness. We never 
have to worry that God will run out of love because it flows from a 
well that will never run dry. [Life Application SB] 

   Two choirs sang this psalm. One choir sang the first line of 
each verse, and the other choir answered, "For His mercy endures 
forever." This was not vain repetition (Matt. 6:7), for the second choir 
was offering inspired praise to the Lord...  
   God reveals His mercy by giving you a wonderful creation to 
use and to enjoy (vv. 4-9)...  
   He reveals His mercy in His care for you, helping you fight 
your battles and defeat your enemies (vv. 10-25).  
   The God of heaven is caring for you on earth! His mercy 
endures forever! [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren 
Wiersbe] 

   The refrain continues over and over: "Give thanks to" him who 
did something, because "his faithful love endures forever." Each 
refrain also includes a particular example of God's unfailing love in 
action. The Israelites sang this glorious song as they praised God for 
his creation, for rescuing them from Egypt, for helping them conquer 
and inhabit the Promised Land, for remembering them in their 
weakness, for saving them from their enemies, and for giving them food and 
supplying their needs.  
   Rewrite this psalm with your own words. Thank God for his 
glorious creation--what you see right outside your window, and what you 
can't see deep within the atoms or out in the universe. Give thanks to 
God for saving you, for the various sins for which you've been 
forgiven, and for the blessings you've been given. Then, when you feel 
low, read your psalm. Nothing helps to get life back into perspective 
than expressing your praise to God for what he has done--and continues 
to do--in your life. [The One Year Bible for New Believers] 

   We should never take any blessing for granted, but accept 
everything as a gift from the Father of Lights. Whole days may be spent 
occasionally in the holy practice of being thankful. We should write on a 
tablet one by one the things for which we are grateful to God and to 
our fellow men. And a constant return to this thought during the day 
as our minds get free will serve to fix the habit in our hearts...  
   In trying to count our many blessings, the difficulty is not 
to find things to count, but to find time to enumerate them all. 
Personally, I have gotten great help from the practice of talking over with 
God the many kindnesses I have received from my fellow men. To my 
parents I owe my life and my upbringing. To my teachers I owe that 
patient line-upon-line instruction that took me when I was a young, 
ignorant pagan and enabled me to read and write. To the patriots and 
statesmen of the past I owe the liberties I now enjoy. To numerous and 
unknown so diers who shed their blood to keep our country free I owe a 
debt I can never pay. And I please God and enlarge my own heart when 
I remind the Lord that I am grateful for them. For every man and 
woman of every race and nationality who may have contributed anything 
to my peace and welfare I am grateful, and I shall not let God 
forget that I am.  A. W. Tozer [Inspirational SB] 

   If you want to reassure someone of your love, whether a 
child, spouse, or friend, you have several methods available. You could 
give a gift, give a hug, spend some time with that person, or say, "I 
love you." Many people say those words so easily, but the proof-their 
actions-isn't always there.  
   Psalm 136 recites many ways in which God has shown his love 
to his people. Read this extensive list and praise your loving 
heavenly Father... 
   Psalm 136 repeats the phrase "His faithful love endures 
forever" twenty-six times, once in every verse. This psalm may have been 
a responsive reading, with the congregation saying these words in 
unison after phrases spoken by a leader.  
   The repetition makes the importance of this message obvious: 
God loves us, and that love doesn't die, stop, wear out, fade, or 
lessen. It lives on, continues, keeps going, lasts. God has done more 
for us than we could ever deserve: He created us, gave us life to 
enjoy, and, through Christ, freed us from sin. But he didn't stop with 
the deeds; he went on to write it down-to say the words.  
   You never have to worry that God will run out of love for 
you. If you ever do, just reread Psalm 136. [The One Year Through the 
Bible Devotional by Dave Veerman re Psalm 136:1-6, 23-26] 

As a Christian, "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 
Corinthians 6:19, August 10). He is always at work in your life--past, 
present, and future--even when you feel as if you are in "exile" or as if 
your life is on hold. Can you look back in your life and find 
evidence of God's faithful love, even before you started following 
Christ? Stop everything and thank God for all he has done and all he 
will continue to do for the rest of your life! [The One Year Bible 
for New Believers re Ezra 3:11] 

Try to list all of your blessings, and you'll probably soon 
realize you can't keep a running tally. There are too many to number! 
God created all things with only the best for us in mind. Like the 
moon and the stars, our "night-lights" in the darkness that He made 
especially for us to enjoy. Everything He created stems from His 
loving-kindness, which has no end. [The 365 Daily Promise Bible By Barbour re v. 
9] 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/

Grace Notes: http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php

Excellent Spiritual Resource Site: 
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/   

More Spiritual Resources: http://www.aBible.com

TWO INCREDIBLE TESTIMONIES:

Finding God in a Prison Cell: 
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/1212 

With Christ in the Desert: 
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/1211