The Scriptures never tell us to give thanks because everything is easy. They tell us to give thanks because God’s love endures forever. That’s a reason that never fades, never changes with our circumstances, and never depends on how steady we are in our walk with Him.
When Psalm 118 opens with this simple but profound invitation — “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever” — it’s doing more than encouraging gratitude. It’s anchoring it. This is the foundation beneath every believer’s thanksgiving: not the fleeting goodness of our days, but the unchanging goodness of our God.
The Meaning of “Steadfast”
“Steadfast” is one of those beautiful, slightly old-fashioned words we don’t use much anymore. It means firm, unwavering, loyal, resolute, consistent through time and testing.
The Hebrew word used here is ḥesed — a word so rich that no single English term fully captures it. It’s often translated as lovingkindness, mercy, or faithful love. It speaks of a love rooted in covenant, not convenience — a love that stays when others would walk away.
God’s steadfast love isn’t an emotional whim. It’s not affection that waxes and wanes with our behavior or moods. It is His very nature expressed toward His people. It is as sure as His faithfulness, as constant as His character.
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken.”
— Isaiah 54:10
That’s the love Psalm 118 celebrates — the love that cannot fail because it flows from the One who cannot change.
God’s Love Is Unaffected by Our Inconsistency
If we’re honest, our devotion fluctuates. One day we’re inspired and full of faith; the next day we’re distracted or doubting. We start strong, but we drift. We remember God’s promises with joy in the morning, then forget them by dinner.
But God never forgets. His love is steadfast even when ours falters.
“He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
— Psalm 103:14
That verse always moves me. It reminds me that God understands the weakness baked into our humanity. He knows our limitations — our short memory, our wandering hearts, our need to learn the same lessons again and again.
And yet, He loves us still.
When we fail, He doesn’t flinch. When we stumble, He doesn’t pull back. His love endures through our inconsistency, our forgetfulness, and even our rebellion. The psalmist repeats the phrase “His steadfast love endures forever” over and over — twenty-six times in Psalm 136 alone — almost as if he’s trying to convince our weary hearts that it’s true.
I think that repetition is for people like me who need reminding. Because even though I know this, I forget. I still try to earn His approval. I still measure my worth by my spiritual performance. But His love isn’t on a timer or a scoreboard. It’s eternal, loyal, and indifferent to my bad days.
Give Thanks Because His Love Is Covenant-Based, Not Performance-Based
We live in a world where love often feels conditional — where approval is earned, affection is withheld, and commitment depends on mutual satisfaction. But God’s love is not like that.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”
— Jeremiah 31:3
His steadfast love doesn’t fluctuate with our faithfulness; it’s anchored in His. When we sin, He disciplines but never abandons. When we repent, He restores. When we wander, He pursues.
This is the love that followed Israel through the wilderness — cloud by day, fire by night — never leaving, never forsaking. And it’s the same love that follows us now, through seasons of joy and hardship, clarity and confusion. (I wrote more about learning to trust God’s steadfast love during life’s stretching seasons in this post https://kellyjgrace.com/i-used-to-pray-for-times-like-this-now-i-go-big/
So when the psalmist says, Give thanks, he’s calling us to look back and remember: God’s love has always been there. Through every storm, every detour, every dark night of the soul — His steadfast love endures.
Give Thanks Because His Love Endures Through Every Season
Psalm 136 tells the story of Israel’s history through the lens of God’s faithful love. After every line recounting creation, deliverance, or provision, the refrain returns:
“For His steadfast love endures forever.”
He made the heavens — for His steadfast love endures forever.
He led His people out of Egypt — for His steadfast love endures forever.
He struck down mighty kings and gave His people land — for His steadfast love endures forever.
It’s as if every event in their story — the victories and the wilderness wanderings alike — could only be rightly understood through this truth: God’s steadfast love endures forever.
That’s how we’re invited to view our own lives. When the bank account is low, when the diagnosis comes, when the friendship breaks — His love endures. When the prayer is answered, when the door opens, when the sun finally breaks through — His love endures.
Gratitude grows when we trace His love through all our seasons, not just the pleasant ones.
Give Thanks Because His Love Is Perfectly Revealed in Jesus
At the cross, steadfast love took on flesh and stretched out His arms.
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8
Jesus is the living proof that God’s steadfast love endures forever. Even death couldn’t stop it. His resurrection declares that nothing — not sin, not shame, not failure, not time — can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39).
When our gratitude runs dry, when life feels too heavy to say “thank You,” the cross fills our hearts again. Because that’s where we see the unshakable evidence of His love.
Give Thanks Because Gratitude Anchors Our Souls
Gratitude is more than good manners; it’s a spiritual lifeline. It pulls our attention away from what’s changing and centers it on what’s eternal.
When we give thanks for God’s steadfast love, we’re preaching the gospel to our own hearts. We’re reminding ourselves that God’s goodness doesn’t depend on our circumstances.
Gratitude quiets anxiety. It steadies faith. It turns our focus from what’s missing to what can never be lost.
In seasons of abundance, gratitude keeps us humble.
In seasons of scarcity, gratitude keeps us hopeful.
So when Scripture says, “Give thanks to the Lord,” it’s not just an invitation — it’s protection for our hearts.
Practicing “Steadfast Gratitude”
Here are a few simple ways to make gratitude your daily rhythm — not just in November, but all year long:
- Start your day with Psalm 118:1
Whisper it before your feet hit the floor: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let it set the tone before your thoughts drift toward worry or work. - Keep a Steadfast Love Journal
Write down daily evidences of His faithfulness — big and small. Over time, those pages will become a personal psalm book of remembrance. - Give thanks even when you fail
When you catch yourself forgetting, complaining, or fearing, stop and thank Him that His love hasn’t changed. Failure doesn’t cancel grace. - Pray Psalm 136 over your life
Fill in your own story between the refrains:
“He healed my heart when I couldn’t go on — for His steadfast love endures forever.”
“He provided what I didn’t even know I needed — for His steadfast love endures forever.”You’ll find joy rising again as gratitude rewrites your narrative. - When life feels too heavy to say “thank you”
There’s help for you in this post https://kellyjgrace.com/how-to-get-closer-to-god-when-overwhelmed-broken-or-betrayed/
The Overflow of a Thankful Heart
The Psalms are full of gratitude, but they’re not naïve songs. They’re written by people who knew hardship — people who had wept, doubted, and even despaired. Yet in all of it, they kept returning to this truth: God’s steadfast love endures forever.
That’s why we can always give thanks.
Not because life is perfect, but because love is.
Not because we never change, but because He never does.
So today, take a quiet moment. Exhale the worry. Inhale His faithfulness. Let this simple verse steady your heart again:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His steadfast love endures forever.”
— Psalm 118:1
And before you move on with your day, whisper a small, sincere prayer:
“Lord, thank You for loving me with a love that doesn’t waver when I do. Teach me to be steadfast in gratitude, even when life feels uncertain. I give You thanks — not for what’s temporary, but for what’s eternal — Your steadfast love that endures forever. Amen.”
A Gentle Challenge for the Week
Each day this week, write down three ways you’ve seen God’s steadfast love — maybe in a conversation, an answered prayer, a quiet moment, or even a disappointment that drew you closer to Him. (If you’ve ever wondered how to recognize those moments when God is inviting you nearer and speaking to you personally, you’ll enjoy this post https://kellyjgrace.com/are-we-getting-the-message/
By the end of the week, you’ll have fifteen reminders that His love really does endure forever. And your heart will find itself echoing the psalmist’s refrain:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His steadfast love endures forever.”
More on God’s Steadfast Love
Would you like to meditate more on this encouraging theme of God’s Steadfast Love? You’ll be blessed by this message on Psalm 33 from Paul David Tripp. Watch it here https://bit.ly/4otR4C9
Personally I’ve found that focusing on God Himself, His nature as good, kind, giving, wise and loving has always pulled me out of overwhelm and discouragement. Those two happen quickly when I focus on my own life and challenges. When I fix my eyes on Jesus, when I lift my gaze from this earthly plane and set my mind on things above, well, it elevates everything. My heart is lifted, my spirits soar and my eyes have a clearer vision of the God whose steadfast love endures forever.
God bless you friend! And remember to share this post with a friend who needs some encouragement and uplifting truth.🙂🥰
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