Lisa Sheffler and Belinda Soto, author
When God lead Israel into the promised land, he had Joshua commemorate the crossing of the Jordan by having one man from each of the 12 tribes select a large stone from the center of the river and carry it over to the other side. There, Jacob arranged the stones and left them as a memorial. God explained his reason for having them do this: the stones would serve as a sign of his faithfulness and might. “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6–7).
God wanted the Israelites to remember what he had done for them. It’s the same reason he ordered the yearly observance of the Passover and other feasts. God knows that we too easily forget his past mercies. We beg him to get us through a tough time, praise him when he does, but when the next challenge comes, we can act as if we’ve never experienced his faithfulness. At our worse, we express a grumbling, complaining, “what has he done for me lately” attitude. When we forget the great acts of God, we become ungrateful.
At its heart, gratitude is about remembering — remembering what God has done, will do, and has promised to do. Perhaps that’s why over and over again the psalmist calls the people to remember and give thanks.
Read
Psalm 107:1–3
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
Psalm 118:1–9 (NIV)
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
Psalm 136:1–4
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
What do the psalmists ask the people to remember and praise God for in these psalms?
What examples of God’s faithfulness do these verses contain?
Reflect
The word “love” in the proclamation that “his love endures forever” is the Hebrew word “hesed.” This term has no exact English equivalent, and so it is translated love, steadfast love, faithfulness, kindness, mercy, or goodness depending on the context and translation. At the word’s root is the notion that love and loyalty are inexorably intertwined. God has chosen to bind himself to the covenants he has made. Because he loves, he will be faithful to keep his good and gracious promises. It’s a concept that permeates the Old Testament and finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Just like us, there were times when the Israelites doubted God’s faithfulness, so as part of their worship they would call to mind who God is and what he had done for them. Like the Israelites, we need to recall the mighty acts of God on our behalf and remind ourselves, and each other, of how he rescued us from sin and death and gathered us together as his church. We need to reflect on our own personal journeys and remember all the ways God has demonstrated his loyal love — over and over. We need to praise God for his faithfulness to us even though we are constantly tempted to wander away from him. We need to celebrate God’s hesed.
In Lamentations, Jeremiah reminds us that “The steadfast love (hesed) of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). In Christ we see the clearest and greatest demonstration of God’s hesed. Jesus Christ vividly displays the loving faithfulness of God. When we place our faith in Christ, our eternal destiny is secure and he will never fail us.
Let’s give thanks for the Lord is good! His love endures forever!
Respond
Pick a couple of verses from the Psalms above and read them out loud. Pray them back to God as an act of praise.
One of the most powerful testimonies that a Christian can give is to praise God even in the midst of hard times. When we are crushed by our circumstances yet allow the presence of God to comfort us and bring us into “a spacious place,” and when we confidently trust in his goodness and take refuge in the Lord, we invite other hurting people to do the same. How can you demonstrate your faith in God by being thankful?
Who can you encourage by reminding them of God’s hesed? Who do you know that needs to hear that God’s love endures forever? Tell them!