We love it when our writers are on a roll. Enjoy an extra helping of Connect Devotionals today!

What God Enduringly Does 

Lana Waters Liu

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let Israel say, “His love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1-2).

“If God loves me / us, why did He let this awful thing happen?” 

How many times have you heard someone — yourself? — ask this?

After all, from the ancient past through the present-day, humanity has experienced anguishing events individually, globally and at all points in between. There have been wars among nations, conflict between people, displacement from home and country, injury, humiliation, famine, on and on.  

The question seems valid. 

So today let’s consider if it really is valid; and if not, why not. 

A good place to start is with the audacious claim “…He (the Lord) is good; His love endures forever.”

“Endures.” Perhaps, like me, you first think of that as “to continue in the same state.” In other words, God’s love never changes. Well—Hallelujah! But maybe that doesn’t settle the “Why did He let this awful thing happen?” question. 

So let’s turn to a further definition. Endures: “to persevere through difficulties; to be committed for the long haul, despite all obstacles.”

You have undoubtedly noticed that God has given us—all of us—free will. This is what Love does—it beckons but does not coerce. If Love is genuine, it is not rude and demanding. 

Therefore, fundamental to God’s love is the way He endures with us as we go through difficulties. Even when those difficulties result from our own choices—from refusing Him and His love, turning our back on Him, giving our love to another god, or converting true love into self-love—His love endures. 

Loving those who wholeheartedly love back does not require endurance. Loving those who subtly or blatantly refuse to love back is what the worshippers are proclaiming God enduringly does.

Now zoom out to all the harm done by all the people who have ever existed to all the people who have ever existed. God’s love has endured through all of that. 

If this were not true, God would have given up on humanity on page 3 of Biblical history. But He didn’t. And He doesn’t. Because His is enduring love.

We have an advantage over the Israelites living in those hundreds-of-years-BC days and also those living under Roman occupation when Jesus rode into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday. Because of how events unfolded during Holy Week, we can even more joyfully proclaim, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!”

Think on these things.

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God is Good

Jessica Waldstein

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 118:29).

The church I grew up in did this thing where when the pastor would say, “God is good,” and the congregation would reply with, “All the time!” The pastor would then follow with, “All the time,” and the congregation would say “God is good!” I heard it countless times as a kid growing up in church. To this day if I hear the phrase, “God is good,” my first reaction is to say, “All the time!”

It’s true, you know: He’s good all the time. Even when life is hard, when things aren’t going right, when we mess up, when we injure or are injured. Even when facing a fickle crowd and a cross–God is good, and good in ways that reach us where we are!

The crowd raising their voices in praise on the first Palm Sunday was small. Some of those same voices may well have shouted, “Crucify him!” a few days later, but man, oh man, did they get this part right! Jesus is worthy of our praise all the time, and the Bible tells us if we don’t praise him the rocks will! (Luke 19:40) Who wants to be out-praised by a rock?

We’ve finished the Fractured series, where we took a look at … *deep breaths* … sin. It was a necessary, but heavy, topic to talk and write about, and we did it! High fives all around! Now it’s time for praise. We’ve all been the small crowd: getting it right one day and wrong the next. But man, oh man, do we have the opportunity to get this right! 

Psalm 118 begins and ends with the same words: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. These words are bookends; the very ground of our praise and worship. During this week leading up to Palm Sunday, let’s allow this scripture to permeate our lives.

Give Thanks: We have so many reasons to give thanks! It matters not the state of the economy, the political climate, the environmental climate, foreign affairs, or affairs of our own hearts. He made the sun rise again this morning, and we are alive today. Take a minute to think of something specific you can be thankful for today.

He is Good: Yes and amen! Everything about Him is good. His creation (Gen 1:31), His love, His sacrifice, and you. Created in God’s image and redeemed by God’s love: you, too, are good! And so is your neighbor! Think about an instance of His goodness.

His Love Endures Forever:  Not because we are good, but because God is good. Not because we are always lovable, but because God is Love. This kind of love can’t be found anywhere else, yet he gives it to us freely. The steadfast love of a God who endures forever…what’s better than that? 

Thank you, God, for the opportunities you give us to praise your name. You are good all the time, and all the time you are good!