As a parent and teacher, I have observed something shocking: children are forgetful. They require frequent reminders for the basic tasks of life—brushing teeth, using shampoo, and hanging wet towels. My middle schooler has repeatedly left his lunch in his locker over weekends (once with uneaten boiled eggs). Another child hopped in the van to go to church only to realize upon arrival that they had forgotten shoes. Children need reminders to function well in the home, society, and school.
By about eighth grade, most children begin to have their lives in order. Assignments are submitted on time, personal hygiene happens, and chores are (generally) done. By 16, we trust a child with the family car, and he (mostly) remembers his wallet, job requirements, and personal schedule. They seem like increasingly put-together, budding adults who remember most of what is important to navigate life. Except, much like the adults around them, they often forget God.
Spiritual Forgetfulness
At our last overnight youth retreat, it struck me how many girls in my small group were deeply uncertain about God’s love for them. These were girls from strong Christian families who attended Christian schools and were regular church attenders. They had forgotten that, amid their sins and shortcomings, they were dearly loved by their heavenly Father. They craved reminders of the truth they were taught from birth, heard each Sunday, and learned at school. They needed to hear repeatedly that their heavenly Father loved them. They needed Psalm 136.
We laugh (or cry) at our children’s forgetfulness, but Psalm 136 indicates that spiritual forgetfulness is not just a childhood problem. It is a human problem. Psalm 136 functions as a memory exercise, with the line “For his steadfast love endures forever” repeating in every verse. Through this Psalm and its repeating refrain, God provides us with three clear principles to remember regardless of our stage of life. Psalm 136 shows us that God’s love is steadfast. Through this love, God orchestrates all our history and calls us to respond with a thankful heart.
God’s Love is Steadfast
Psalm 136 uses the Hebrew word hesed 26 times. The ESV translates it as “steadfast love” in this repeating phrase: “For his steadfast love endures forever.” It does not take any imagination to realize that the psalmist wants us to know that God’s love for his people endures forever.
To illustrate that point, Psalm 136 highlights Israel’s history, calling them to remember God’s specific acts of hesed over time. Remember God’s power and beauty in creation (Ps. 136:4-9). Remember God’s repeated deliverance of Israel, his people (Ps. 136: 10-20). Remember God’s continued provision (Ps. 136: 21-25).
My inner English teacher realizes that God is the subject of this psalm, the one doing the actions. Israel only receives God’s actions and steadfast love. This steadfast love, this hesed, is pursuing, faithful, unyielding, and unstoppable. Think of all the terrible things that the nation of Israel did before the psalmist penned this psalm. As a nation, and as individuals, God’s people did not score well. I am thinking about golden calves, complaining, doubting God’s provision, murder, adultery, and lying, to name just a few. They were a hot mess, just like we (and our children) are today. But all those sins could not stop God’s hesed. Psalm 136 reminds Israel, and us, about God’s steadfast love, not their repeated failures.
Remembering Our History with God
Why exactly is God creating, delivering and providing for Israel? Because his steadfast love for them endures forever. The continued repetition of this line is both a tool for combating forgetfulness and a framework demonstrating how God’s people should interpret their history. Every act of God is viewed through the lens of “his steadfast love endures forever.”
Our personal histories are forged by hesed and marked by God’s creative power, deliverance and provision. Unfortunately, we often interpret our histories through our feelings. If life is going well, God loves us. If life is hard, any number of possibilities cloud our thinking. Did I sin? Is God punishing me? Did God forget me? Psalm 136 teaches us to interpret our history through God’s steadfast love, not through our emotions. Paul echoes this truth in his letter to the Romans, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).
Thankful Hearts
The only command given to Israel in this psalm is the command to give thanks, which is repeated four times. Psalm 136 points to Romans 2:4, where Paul asserts that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. Does this mean there were no consequences for Israel’s sin? Of course not. But it does mean that God’s steadfast love is not dependent on Israel’s behavior or on ours. We, and the children we love, need to hear this message on repeat: Christ died while we were still sitting in the mess of our own sin, unable to help ourselves. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, God’s love for us will not fail. Our response to God’s faithful provision and pursuit of us is to give thanks, and that grateful heart motivates us to greater obedience.
Gracious Love
When one of my sons was a middle schooler, he had a dreadful season of managing his life. Forgotten PE clothes led to mortifying in-class corrections; forgotten lunches led to hungry afternoons; forgotten homework led to poor grades. And then he came home with two F’s and a parent-teacher meeting request. Holding the tests in great frustration, I looked at my son. Somehow, by God’s grace, a glimmer of the repeating refrain in Psalm 136 pierced through my exasperation.
So, I told him we were going out for ice cream to celebrate.
“Celebrate what?” was his incredulous response.
“You. God. Grace.” No mention of school, lost items, or the abysmal condition of his room. “Let’s get some mint chocolate chip.”
It was a turning point. The next day, we began anew, tackling grades and organizational challenges. But the first step toward success began with the ice cream date, the small but tangible reminder of my love, and God’s love, for this struggling child.
God’s love for us is a love we cannot outrun or overturn, but it is a love we can forget. We can be a part of a good church, have solid theological underpinnings, be surrounded by fellow believers, and be immersed in Christian education, but still completely miss the memo: God’s steadfast love for us endures forever. One of the greatest acts of faith is remembering. Like Psalm 136, we must repeatedly remind ourselves (and our children) of God’s creative power, deliverance, and provision through his unfailing love.
For His steadfast love endures forever.
Knowing how best to disciple your children through different stages of life can be hard. Our Discipling Your Children and Discipling Your Teenagers curricula give practical, biblical training on how to pursue discipleship through every stage of your child’s life.
