A Lenten Evening Devotion - Psalm 136:1 - 9

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

1. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.
2. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures forever.
3. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever.
4. To Him who alone does great wonders, for His steadfast love endures forever.
5. To Him who by understanding made the heavens, for His steadfast love endures forever.
6. To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His steadfast love endures forever.
7. To Him who made the great lights, for His steadfast love endures forever.
8. The sun to rule over the day, for His steadfast love endures forever.
9. The moon and stars to rule over the night, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136 is a psalm of thanksgiving, structured with a repeated refrain: “for His steadfast love endures forever.” This repetition is not mere poetic device but a profound theological declaration. The psalm calls Israel—and all who fear the Lord—to remember and confess that every work of God is rooted in His enduring, covenantal love.

The psalm opens with a call to give thanks, first for who God is (vv.1-3) and then for what He has done (vv.4-9). He is the “God of gods” and “Lord of lords” (vv.2-3), which does not imply the existence of other gods but rather affirms His supreme authority over all things. He alone is the Creator, the sovereign ruler of heaven and earth. His goodness is not fleeting; His love is not conditional. It is steadfast—unchanging, faithful, and eternal.

Verses 4-9 direct our attention to God’s mighty acts in creation. He is the one “who alone does great wonders” (v.4). The heavens, the earth, the seas, the stars—all testify to His wisdom and power. Each aspect of creation is a display of divine love. The sun’s warmth, the moon’s glow, the order of day and night—these are not arbitrary, but intentional gifts of God’s mercy. We do not deserve such goodness, yet God provides. His love is woven into the fabric of creation itself.

This psalm invites us to see the world through the lens of gratitude. In a world that often seems chaotic, Psalm 136 reminds us that behind all things stands a God whose love never fails. The same love that spoke the universe into existence is the love that redeemed Israel, the love that sent Christ to the cross, the love that sustains His Church today. This love does not waver with our faithfulness or fail in the face of our sin. It endures forever.

To give thanks, then, is not merely an act of polite acknowledgment. It is an act of faith, a confession that God is both sovereign and good, that His mercy sustains us even when we do not see it. Whether in creation, in history, or in our daily lives, we join in the great chorus of the saints: “His steadfast love endures forever.”

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.