You’ve got to figure that if something is repeated 26 times, it’s important.

“For His mercy endures forever” – x26

I started reading Psalm 136 the other day, and while I know I’ve read it before, I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about why that phrase is repeated so often.  In every verse.  All 26 of them.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever!

Oh give thanks to the God of gods!  For His mercy endures forever!

Oh give thanks to the Lord of lords!   For His mercy endures forever!

To Him alone who does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever

The sun to rule by day , For His mercy endures forever;

The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever…

And so on.

In all 26 verses of the Psalm – after every statement about His power and creation and provision and victories and rescues from enemies – we are reminded that His mercy endures forever.

And I wonder  – how different would my attitude and my outlook and my faith be if I repeated that phrase in response to anything that crosses my path today?  In the joys and the laughter, and the disappointments and the struggles.  If I breathed that phrase in and out as often as the Psalmist did, would it make a difference in my life?

I think it would.  I know it would.  No matter what happens today, His mercy endures forever.

And that’s worth repeating. 

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  Lamentations 3:22

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.”        2 Chronicles 20:21

And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.  Luke 1:50