Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:1

 

The twenty-six letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used to begin the twenty-six verses of Psalm 136. Twenty-six times the Holy Spirit wants us to know that “His faithful loves endures forever.” This fact should be branded upon our minds and hearts both now and always.

In stark contrast to this message is the incredible judgment of the seventh seal (Revelation 8). Death, darkness, and despair consume the earth with fiery hail, falling stars, and bitter waters. How does this judgment show a God whose love endures forever? Nahum provides the answer: “The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet” (Nahum 1:3). God shows His love by waiting so long to impose judgment!

Centuries have gone by with God’s long-suffering, restraining judgment being withheld, just as He withheld in the days of Noah. God also waited patiently for Pharaoh, though He “killed the firstborn of Egypt” (Psalm 136:10). The old idea that a God of love cannot show wrath is wrong. His love is shown by the fact that He waits so long to display His wrath!