Some Things Are Worth Repeating
 
Psalm 107 begins with the proclamation:
 
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!”
 
Then 43 verses later, the psalmist ends with:
 
Whoever is wise, let him give heed to these things; let men consider the steadfast love of the Lord.”
 
Yet wait, there is more; four more of the 43 verses (verses 8, 15, 21 and 31) use a refrain echoing the same point: "Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love." I think the psalmist is trying to tell us something about the love of God.
 
The Hebrew behind the phrase "steadfast love" is the word “hesed” and it means a love based on a covenant commitment. To be steadfast is to be unwavering, to be firm, to be resolute. For me, as I read and meditate on Psalm 107, I envision myself wrapped in the loving, grace-filled love of God — yesterday, today and forever. And that love was signed, sealed and delivered in and through the life of Jesus from His birth in Bethlehem, to Golgotha, to the empty tomb in the garden.
 
And, just in case we missed the message in Psalm 107, the author of Lamentations has yet another beautiful way of affirming that the steadfast love of God that lasts forever:
 
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,’ therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.” Lamentations 3:21-24
 
In my mind I hear the psalmist, the author of Lamentations, and the Good News of the New Testament all saying, "Remember that God loves you and you are precious in His sight — always and forever."
The Rev. Robert E. Wareing
Pastoral Associate
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