Gospel Reflections #1138: God's faithful love

Psalm 89:1 ‘O Lord, I will sing of your steadfast love for ever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.’

This verse expresses a firm resolve to continue praising God’s unchanging love (steadfast love) and faithfulness (truth) from generation to generation.

This verse brings together the two most important words in the entire Bible that describe God’s nature.

‘Grace and mercy’ signify God’s unilateral love, His faithful love based on covenant, and His mercy that never forsakes us.

And ‘truth and faithfulness’ signify God’s reliability, His unshakeable certainty, and His faithfulness in always keeping His promises.

David declares that these two attributes of God are the very themes he should continue to sing about throughout his life and for generations to come. 

Furthermore, David is not merely giving thanks ‘for the present moment’.

He says he will proclaim this ‘for ever’ and ‘from generation to generation’ (as long as history endures). This is an expression that reflects a ‘relay of faith’, passing on the story of God’s splendour beyond the end of his own life to his children, grandchildren and future generations.

In fact, reading the latter half of Psalm 89 reveals that it was sung amidst a desperate national crisis (such as the Babylonian Exile), when Israel (the House of David) had been destroyed by its enemies and the throne had been shattered. 

In other words, the resplendent praise in verse 1 is not sung ‘because everything is going well’, but is a powerful confession of faith in the midst of adversity, declaring: ‘Although the reality before our eyes (the destruction of the nation and suffering) seems dire, God’s love and promises remain absolutely unchanging.’

For us living in the present day, this verse is also a great source of encouragement.

There are dark periods in life when we feel as though God has forsaken us.

However, Psalm 89:1 teaches us that ‘no matter how circumstances may change, God’s mercy and faithfulness are as unshakeable as the heavens’.

This verse conveys the importance of recalling the grace God has bestowed upon us in the past and giving voice to our praise, especially in times of suffering.

It would be good for us to take our time to reflect on how God has worked in our own individual lives.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.