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

Psalm 136:1 ESV

How do we use this Psalm, how does it help us with our worship life today? The Psalm is designed to be sung antiphonally – two sets of singers, one set singing the first line of each verse, the second set singing the counter point. Imagine a congregation split down the middle. The left hand side say/sing “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!” Then the right hand side respond with “For his steadfast love endures forever!”

Just before diving in, the word translated variously as steadfast love, love, or mercy speaks of a covenant love, a love that God chooses to bestow on us. It’s an active, acting love that steadfastly continues regardless of the state of the recipient. It’s one sided in the sense that what God extends is more than we can return.

The refrain “for his steadfast love endures forever” is the warp through the weft of life. In the Psalm every aspect of Israel’s history is recited with the antiphonal response underlining that in every situation in life, at every critical moment it is God’s steadfast love that underpins our lives. It is the thread that runs through our lives from cradle to grave.

So, how do we use it? Apart from singing it in church we can use it in our own personal worship, to establish in our own hearts the thread of faithful love that God has shown and continues to show:

Give thanks to the Lord who called me from before the foundation of the world
for his steadfast love endures forever
Give thanks to the God who drew me into his work and service
for his steadfast love endures forever
To him who blessed me with a godly wife
for his steadfast love endures forever
And set my course to seek and serve
for his steadfast love endures forever

Let this be the heartbeat of our lives, in all we do. Remember what he has done, for his steadfast love has endured. Trust him in the here and now, for his steadfast love is enduring. Have hope in the future, for his steadfast love will endure forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good…