The Hymn...
Give thanks to the Lord our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that’s been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
Chorus
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever
From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
By the grace of God we will carry on
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
Give thanks to the Lord our God and King,
His love endures forever,
For He is good He is above all things,
His love endures forever.
Our church sang this hymn on the most recent Lord’s Day as we gathered for corporate worship. It was a good preparation for us to hear the Word of God that day. We are currently studying through the Old Testament book of Ruth, specifically, chapter 2. The main idea of the sermon was: The steadfast love of God. Ultimately, the point was that God's steadfast love is most clearly seen in Jesus.
The song is a reminder of this very truth, and when churches gather in corporate worship with their voices raised together saying “Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong, forever God is with us, forever!,” not only is it moving, it is instructive. The song is patterned after the structure and flow of Psalm 136, which is itself designed to teach people to remember the goodness of God.
-The Hymn
-The first verse of the hymn reminds us that God is the righteous King over all the earth. “He is good, He is above all things.”
It is a quotation of Psalm 136: 1, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever."
-All things exist by Him, for Him, and through Him. We hear in the words of the song the words of texts like…
Psalm 119:68 - “You are good, and [You] do good…”
Psalm 24:1-2, “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”
The second verse reminds us that God saves with His mighty hand, full of strength…
Psalm 139:12 - “...with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever…”
And that salvation from God means being reborn; remade from the inside out.
John 3:3 - “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
In verse 3, the lyric, “From the rising to the setting sun His love endures forever…” reminds us that God is oversees all things, every detail, and He faithfully watches over all our days.
He appoints the sunrise and the sunset (Matthew 5:45).
And He appoints the days of our lives before we ever existed (Psalm 139:16).
He is the first and the last. He stands forever (Revelation 21:6).
The song leads us to right praise: In light of this God Who saves, “Sing praise!” Forever, He is faithful. Forever, He is strong. Forever, He is with us! Forever!
And so goes the anthem of the Church. Praise our God forever and ever amen!