His Mercies Endure Forever: The Unshakeable Foundation of Faith

What if I told you there’s a single phrase in Scripture that appears 26 times in one chapter—and that this phrase holds the key to understanding everything about God’s character? What if this same phrase could transform how you view your past, present, and future? What if it could anchor your soul in the stormiest seasons of life?

Welcome to Psalm 136, where the ancient Hebrew poet takes us on a breathtaking journey through all of history—from the first moment of creation to the daily provision on your breakfast table—and punctuates every single verse with the same thunderous declaration: “His steadfast love endures forever.”

Twenty-six times. Twenty-six times the psalmist refuses to let us forget this truth. You see, this isn’t just poetry—it’s proclamation. This isn’t just worship—it’s warfare against every doubt that whispers God’s love might fail.

The Power of Holy Repetition

Why twenty-six times? Why not once, powerfully stated, and move on? Here’s the thing: the Hebrew mind understood something we often miss in our efficiency-obsessed culture. Truth this profound requires repetition not because we’re slow learners, but because we’re quick forgetters.

The Hebrew word for “give thanks” that opens this psalm is hôdû—and it doesn’t mean a polite “thank you” whispered under your breath. It means to acknowledge publicly, to confess boldly, to proclaim with your whole being. This is thanksgiving as declaration of war against despair.

And what are we declaring? That God’s chesed—His steadfast love, His covenant loyalty, His unfailing kindness—endures le’olam, forever. Not just for a long time. Not just until circumstances change. Forever.

The psalmist knew what we need to remember: in a world where everything shifts, where promises break and people disappoint, where even our own hearts prove unreliable, there is one constant that never wavers. God’s love doesn’t fluctuate with your performance. It doesn’t diminish with your failures. It doesn’t expire with time.

The Hebrew Heart of Divine Love

Let’s dig deeper into this word chesed that appears in every refrain. This isn’t the sentimental love of greeting cards or the fickle emotion of Hollywood romance. Chesed is covenant love—love that chooses to commit, love that binds itself with promises, love that persists through betrayal and disappointment.

When the Bible speaks of God’s chesed, it’s describing love that combines:

• Loyalty that never wavers
• Kindness that never hardens
• Faithfulness that never fails
• Mercy that never runs dry

This is love with backbone. Love with staying power. Love that doesn’t depend on the worthiness of its object but on the character of the One who gives it.

You see, human love—even at its best—is conditional. We love because someone is lovable, because they meet our needs, because they make us happy. But God’s chesed is different. God loves because God is love. His love flows from His nature, not from our performance.

From Creation’s Dawn to Your Kitchen Table

Now watch how the psalmist unfolds this truth. He doesn’t start with abstract theology—he starts with concrete history. Verses 4-9 take us back to creation itself, where God’s steadfast love first expressed itself in bringing order from chaos, light from darkness, life from emptiness.

“To Him who by understanding made the heavens… who spread out the earth above the waters… who made the great lights…” And after each creative act: “His steadfast love endures forever.”

Here’s the point: creation itself is an expression of God’s covenant love. Before there was anyone to love, God was preparing a home for those He would love. Before there was anyone to provide for, God was stocking the pantry of the universe. The sun that warms your face this morning is a daily reminder that God’s love endures forever.

But the psalmist doesn’t stop with creation. He moves to redemption—the great Exodus story that defines Israel’s identity. The plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of Pharaoh’s army—all expressions of the same steadfast love that created the stars.

You see, God’s love isn’t passive. It’s active, intervening, rescuing love. When His people were enslaved, His love moved heaven and earth to set them free. When they were trapped at the Red Sea with enemies closing in, His love opened a highway through the impossible.

And then—here’s where it gets personal—the psalm moves to present provision. Verse 25: “who gives food to all flesh, for His steadfast love endures forever.”

From the cosmic to the commonplace. From the parting of seas to the provision of meals. The same love that flung stars into space is the love that ensures you have what you need today.

When Everything Falls Apart

But what about when life doesn’t feel like an expression of God’s love? What about when the diagnosis is devastating, when the relationship crumbles, when the dream dies? Does His steadfast love endure even then?

Verse 23 gives us a clue: “who remembered us in our low estate, for His steadfast love endures forever.” The Hebrew word for “low estate” (shiflut) suggests humiliation, degradation, being brought low. This isn’t about the good times—this is about the valley times.

Here’s what’s remarkable: even in our lowest moments, even when we’re humiliated and broken and wondering if God has forgotten us, His steadfast love endures forever. Not because our circumstances prove it, but because His character guarantees it.

The psalmist understood something we desperately need to grasp: God’s love isn’t proven by our comfort—it’s proven by His character. It’s not demonstrated by our ease—it’s demonstrated by His faithfulness. His love endures not because life is easy, but because He is eternal.

The Rhythm of Remembrance

Notice the structure of this psalm. It’s not just a list of God’s acts—it’s a rhythm of remembrance. Each verse recalls a specific demonstration of God’s faithfulness, then drives home the eternal truth: His love endures forever.

This is how faith survives the storms. Not by denying the difficulty, but by remembering the demonstrations. When present circumstances tempt you to doubt God’s love, you rehearse the evidences. You remember the Red Sea moments in your own life. You recall the times He provided when provision seemed impossible. You recount the ways He’s been faithful even when you’ve been faithless.

The twenty-six-fold repetition isn’t just for emphasis—it’s for endurance. It’s training your soul to default to this truth when everything else is uncertain.

Living in the Forever

So how does this change everything? How does knowing that His mercies endure forever transform the way you live?

First, it changes how you view your past. Every mistake, every failure, every season of rebellion—none of it exhausted God’s love for you. His chesed endured through it all. You don’t have to carry the weight of earning back His favor because His favor was never based on your performance in the first place.

Second, it changes how you face your present. Whatever you’re walking through right now—the uncertainty, the fear, the overwhelming circumstances—His steadfast love is enduring through this too. Not just surviving, but actively working for your good even when you can’t see how.

Third, it changes how you anticipate your future. You don’t have to fear that God’s love might run out, that His patience might expire, that His commitment might waver. His love endures forever. Not just for a long time—forever. Past the end of your strength, past the limit of your understanding, past the boundary of your life itself.

The Worship That Changes Everything

But here’s the thing: this truth isn’t meant to be merely believed—it’s meant to be proclaimed. The psalm begins with a command: “Give thanks to the Lord!” This is a call to worship, but it’s worship with a purpose.

When you declare God’s enduring love in the face of temporary trouble, something shifts. When you proclaim His faithfulness in the midst of uncertainty, your perspective realigns with reality. When you rehearse His steadfast love despite present pain, you’re not just comforting yourself—you’re participating in the eternal truth that outlasts every temporal circumstance.

This is why the psalmist structured this as a responsive reading. One voice declares God’s mighty acts, and the congregation responds with the eternal truth: “His steadfast love endures forever.” It’s not just information—it’s participation. It’s joining your voice to the chorus that has been singing this truth since creation began.

The Promise That Outlasts Everything

In our age of broken promises and failed institutions, of relationships that don’t last and commitments that crumble, Psalm 136 stands as a monument to the one promise that will never fail. God’s steadfast love endures forever.

Not because we deserve it. Not because we’ve earned it. Not because we’re lovable. But because He is love, and His nature doesn’t change.

The apostle Paul caught this truth when he wrote, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

You see, Paul was essentially giving us the New Testament version of Psalm 136. His love endures forever. Through death and life, through present trouble and future uncertainty, through the heights of joy and the depths of despair—His steadfast love endures forever.

The Invitation to Rest

So here’s the invitation this ancient psalm extends to your weary soul: stop trying to earn what you already have. Stop fearing you might lose what cannot be taken. Stop doubting what has been proven through all of history.

His mercies endure forever. Not just the big, dramatic mercies like parting seas and conquering enemies. The daily mercies. The breath in your lungs. The food on your table. The sunrise that greets you each morning. The people who love you. The hope that refuses to die even in your darkest moments.

All of it—expressions of steadfast love that endures forever.

When you wake up tomorrow morning, before you check your phone or worry about your schedule or rehearse your problems, remember this: the God who created the heavens and earth, who delivered His people from slavery, who conquered mighty kings and gives food to all flesh—that same God loves you with a love that will never fail, never fade, never end.

His mercies endure forever. Not just as a nice thought or a comforting verse, but as the unshakeable foundation upon which you can build your life.

In a world of constant change, this remains: His steadfast love endures forever.

And that changes everything.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1