His Steadfast Love Endures Forever [Devotion]

We cannot be truly grateful until we begin to understand our own insufficiency. This is something I think I have been learning for many years now. But rather than trying to explain allow me to illustrate.

Suppose we have four people in line at a restaurant. The first man, Max, a kindly business man, steps up to the counter. He orders his meal he turns around to his colleague (the second man in line) and says,

“Put your wallet away, Jim. Lunch is on me today.”

Jim, not ungrateful, smiles and thanks him before ordering and stepping out of line. Feeling the buzz of generosity Max looks at the next man in line, Bill, a stranger with only a couple bucks in his wallet, and says,

“You too. You’re lunch is on me. Whatever you’d like.”

Bill is taken aback for a moment. He’d only been planning to get, perhaps, a burger since he only had a few dollars and now he can have a full meal. With a heartfelt, “Thank you,” Bill orders and steps out of line. Max now sees the last man. Tim, standing there in tattered clothes and not even two pennies to rub together. Tim has seen Max’s generosity towards the other two and doesn’t dare think it might be offered to him. He had only been planning on asking for a cup of water. Then he hears Max say,

“And you sir, whatever you’d like. I’ll pay.”

Tim’s eye’s fill with tears and he barely gets out his thanks in reply to this kindness. Who would we say was the most grateful? Jim, who knew he could pay for his meal. Bill, who was sure he could pay for part of his meal. Or Tim, who knew he had nothing. I think we would all say, “Tim.” But if we are really to understand the meaning of this there is one more detail that you need to know. Jim and Bill both forgot their wallets at home. In other words none of the men behind Max had money to pay for their food. Jim thought he could cover the whole thing and Bill thought he could get a burger but in reality they were in the same position as Tim. In reality all three of those men had been given meals they couldn’t pay for but only one of them realized it.

The fact is, we know from scripture that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” (James 1:17) that, “…he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust,” (Matthew 5:45) and that “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). In other words scripture is clear that we owe everything to God and that’s not even touching salvation! We bring nothing and He brings the physical abundance of the earth and the spiritual abundance of His rich mercy! We all stand before God with empty pockets… whether we realize it or not.

Often, around this time of year, we are encouraged to be thankful (a very important thing to be). But often we simply think about things we like about our life (friends, family, etc) and there’s nothing wrong with that. But we can’t truly have a grateful heart until we understand all of our blessings in the context of our insufficiency and God’s abundant generosity. Christ’s death was the price of God’s mercy. We could do nothing to earn it yet it has been given freely. So please think on that this week and keep it in mind as you read the passage below.

Psalm 136

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;

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew[a] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

17 to him who struck down great kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.