Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.

11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.

12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.

14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.

15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.

17 who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.

18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.

19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.

20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.

21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.

22 an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever.

23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.

24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.

25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

It is true. God's love endures forever! Though God is the great creator of the sun and the moon, God's love for us can also be demonstrated very practically, sometimes even in miraculous fashion. Just look at the nation of Israel.

From Psalm 136:10-22, it was recorded how the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt where they were enslaved. He parted the Red Sea, did miracles for the Israelites in the desert, and even drove out great kings and gave His people land - all this despite them worshipping the golden calf, complaining and grumbling against Moses.

The Lord's LOVE for Israel is really AMAZING.

The Lord reminds me of China - which just had a massive earthquake in Sichuan. Right now, my heart just melts when I hear about the number of children trapped under collapsed buildings. To make matters worse, many of their parents only have 1 child each - due to the one-child policy. And according to reports, the death toll has hit 22,000 (with another 20,000+ or so missing).



The Lord had shown mercy on the Israelites, as mentioned in Psalm 136. I'm sure He loves the Chinese people in Sichuan too. I really pray for the Lord to turn the situation around and perhaps, the underground churches in China will rise up and gain acceptance from the government. After all, He is concerned with our needs - He gives food to every creature (v25).


Things to ponder
1. Pray for the rescue efforts to continue - so that more lives can be saved. Every single life count!
2. Pray for the government to also take care of the 5 million people who were left homeless because of the quake.
3. Pray for the churches in China to be united and rise up to be a blessing to the government.
4. Pray for the gospel to be shared in the nation, especially when the hearts of the people are open.