His Love Endures Forever

I can remember vividly as a child sitting through mixed Bible class on Sunday evening and reading as a congregation Psalm 136. The words “His love endures forever” were recited verse after verse, as a way to remind the class that God’s love for his people would never fail. In the text, we learn of God’s great wonders, his salvation, and his eternal power, all sandwiched in between the words “His love endures forever.” Clearly, there is no love like that of God towards his creation, and Psalm 136 seeks to demonstrate this point.

Needless to say, as time has progressed, texts like this one hold renewed and special meaning for me. God’s love really does mean so much more to me as I have grown to understand the purpose I have been called to, the true state of the human condition, and the sacrifice made by God on my behalf. Around every corner I am reminded that God’s love endures forever. What strikes me from reading Psalm 136 today is that God’s love is much greater than I ever imagined. As I read through the psalm, I notice that all is not rosy for those in the text. Verses speak of God’s destruction of kings, his annihilation of the Egyptian country and culture, and God’s taking land from one people to give that same land to Israel. As I read along, I can not help but ask the question “Did God’s enduring love not exist for the enemies of Israel?” Yes, because we know God and we know how God works, we can say with confidence that God’s love did endure, even for the enemies of Israel. So what then? How can one balance destruction with love? Where is the connection between the pain Egypt endured and success Israel saw? I don’t know all the answers to that question. I can’t explain how God’s eternal love for all people was played out in the destruction of some and the salvation of others. Still, I do not doubt that God’s love endures forever. I’m sure that as God in his wisdom spoke these words, he knew the debate that would occur. Psalm 136:17 demonstrates well the seeming contradiction “[God] who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.”

One must never forget that God’s love endures forever. Trying to understand such a deeply sacrificial, eternal, and powerful love can be a frustrating task. However, the reality of God’s love must never be questioned. There is a love that is enduring. Sometimes this love punishes and other times it blesses. There are ways that this love seems biased and there are times when this love seems contradictory. Children often fail to understand the love of a father, especially when that love acts in the best interest of all parties involved. We are not called to fully comprehend such love. Rather, we are called to believe that in all things “His Love Endures Forever.”