Today’s Devotional Thought from Pastor Stern:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
(Psalms 136:1 ESV)
The Psalms have been called the hymnal of ancient Israel. But we seldom know how they were originally sung. Yet, in the case of Psalm 136, we get a clue. Ezra 3:11 says, “And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.’”
So apparently, Psalm 136 (or something like it) was sung responsively:
Cantor: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
People: for his steadfast love endures forever.
Cantor: Give thanks to the God of gods,
People: for his steadfast love endures forever.
Cantor: Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
People: for his steadfast love endures forever;
Cantor: to him who alone does great wonders,
People: for his steadfast love endures forever;
Cantor: to him who by understanding made the heavens,
People: for his steadfast love endures forever;
(You get the idea)
Imagine being there! It would have been spectacular to hear the cantor outlining the mighty works of God and the people responding in shouts of praise.
But Psalm 136 also teaches us an important lesson about prayer during COVID-19. We should seek to saturate our spiritual lives with this refrain. After each prayer, the posture of our hearts says, “His steadfast love endures forever.” And after each passage of Scripture we read, the posture of our hearts says, "His steadfast love endures forever! May this be the refrain of our lives!
Ways to Pray:
Pray for the sick during COVID-19...for his steadfast love endures forever.
Pray for healthcare workers during COVID-19...for his steadfast love endures forever.
Pray for the vulnerable during COVID-19...for his steadfast love endures forever.
Pray for the unemployed during COVID-19...for his steadfast love endures forever.
Pray for our leaders during COVID-19...for his steadfast love endures forever.
Pray for students and families during COVID-19...for his steadfast love endures forever.
Pray for churches during COVID-19...for his steadfast love endures forever.