DEPENDENCE: an American Independence Day devotional
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:4
The Hebrew word, חסד (CHE-sed), translated here as steadfast love, is used 247 times in 241 verses of the Old Testament. In many and varied English translations of the Bible, this Hebrew word has been translated mercy, mercies, merciful, kindness, goodness, kindly, favor, favour, great kindness, loving kindness, lovingkindess, and merciful kindness, to name a few. Jesus Messiah is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev 19:16). Christ Jesus is the good God (Psa 136:1), who alone does great wonders (Psa 136:4). He created the heavens and earth because of His gospel mercy (Psa 136:5-9), delivered His people from the bondage of a sinful world because of His gospel mercy (Psa 136:10-16), is sovereign King over all nations and governments because of His gospel mercy (Psa 135:17-22), has reached down into our individual lives to save us to live forever with Him because of His gospel mercy (Psa 135:23-25), and is surely the God of heaven who is worthy of all thanksgiving because of His gospel mercy (Psa 135:26). Twenty-six verses of praise for Christ’s eternal mercy are repeated in this psalm, כי לעולם חסדו (kheey l’ō-LAM CHAS-dō), courtesy of the Department of Redundancy Department— yet, for reasons most excellent. The greatest wonder of God is His provision of redemption through the substitutionary atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We must repeat this truth again and again to our souls so it rises from our hearts in thanksgiving. Our flesh, the godless world, and Satan himself hates Christ’s gospel (Gal 5:17; 1 Jn 2:16; 1 Pet 5:8), and these will attempt to keep us from it. Yet, we need not lose heart, for Christ’s steadfast love endures forever, and by His mercy, will keep eternally whom He has redeemed (Phil 1:6). We must rely on His steadfastness, not our own. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
God’s steadfast love is merciful,
Found in Christ, our Lord;
Christ’s gospel, in a world that’s cruel,
Found only in God’s Word.
“Adam in perfection could not keep himself in Paradise, how can his imperfect children be so proud as to rely upon their own steadfastness?” —C. H. Spurgeon, “Life’s Need and Maintenance” Sermon No. 1300, delivered June 18, 1876; Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 22