Instead of endlessly worrying over the unknown of the future, we rest in peace, having confidence that nothing is outside of God’s meticulous plan. We remember God’s works because they show us His heart, and knowing His heart of enduring love gives us hope for the present and future.

Does anything in our world last forever? The obvious answer is no. Traditions change, institutions collapse, and even our dearest loved ones pass away.

Yet Psalm 136 confronts that reality. In a world that fades, His love endures forever.

This love is not merely abstract and undefined, nor can it be detached from its divine source. Time and again, the Psalmist repeats “His love endures forever,” not as empty repetition, but as a call to remember. This Psalm doesn’t just tell us that God’s love endures. It takes us back to see the love behind His acts so we can trust His enduring love in the present and future.

The Psalmist leads us back through the story of God’s redemption, where He rescued His people from Egyptian slavery. In verses 10-16, he highlights the Passover and crossing of the Red Sea, where God delivered them “with [His] strong hand and [His] outstretched arm.” After the crossing, God’s love was displayed in His guidance. He continually provided for the Israelites by leading them through the wilderness (136:16), guiding them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Then by His enduring love, God fulfilled His promise. To enter the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God Himself struck down Canaanite kings to bring His people their promised inheritance (136:17-22). 

As the psalmist looked back and saw God’s enduring love behind Israel’s story, we too are called to look back and recognize His hand in ours. The truth is, there is not a single step of our lives that God has not ordained. John Piper once said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” Often, it is when we look back that we begin to see what God was doing all along.

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