The Love That Never Fails

His love never fails and it never gives up.

In Psalms 136, "for His steadfast love endures forever" is repeated twenty-six times.

Steadfast, Endures, and Forever are three words that are hard for humans to comprehend because no one is completely steadfast, no one fully endures, and no one is forever. So let's pick these three words apart so we can understand them a little more. Then we may be able to recognize why the psalmist mentions this phrase twenty-six times.

STEADFAST means...

 

fixed in direction

steadily directed
firm in purpose

resolution

faith

attachment

unwavering
resolution

faith

adherence

firmly established

firmly fixed in place or position
 

 

ENDURES means...

 

to hold out against

sustain without impairment or yielding

undergo

to bear without resistance or with patience

tolerate

to admit of

allow

bear

to continue to exist

last

to support adverse force or influence of any kind

suffer without yielding

suffer patiently

to have or gain continued or lasting acknowledgment or recognition

as of worth

merit or greatness

 

 

FOREVER means...

 

without ever ending

eternally

to last forever

continually

incessantly

always

an endless period of time

forever and a day

 

 

Psalms 136

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who by understanding mad the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; 
he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.