Psalms – Prayers of Honesty and Praise

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains
This one thing remains
Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me
Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me
Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me
Because on and on and on and on it goes
Before it overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains
This one thing remains
Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me
Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me
Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me
Your love….
This song, One Thing Remains by Brian Johnson / Christa Black / Jeremy Riddle is playing in the background of my mind as I read our next prayer of praise.

I may try to walk away from this love but God won’t let me go without a fight. For this I am eternally grateful. The real reason I am a believer today is that God won’t let me go so why…leave? God’s love is unending. His love truly never quits. His love draws me to God and His best for me.

This psalm repeats lines that are important for us to sing so that the meaning will be internalized with praise for One and Only who loves us more than we can imagine. And we wonder why our songs have repetition these days! Like the days of old, we repeat so that we do not dwell on each phrase or individual word but so that we praise God with abandon to thinking of anything else but God and His love for us.
“Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me”
“His love never quits”…
“I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
when God grabbed and held me.
God’s my strength, he’s also my song,
and now he’s my salvation.”
“His love never quits”…
Psalm 118, The Message

because his love never quits.
Tell the world, Israel,
“His love never quits.”
And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world,
“His love never quits.”
And you who fear God, join in,
“His love never quits.”
5-16 Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;
who would dare lay a hand on me?
God’s my strong champion;
I flick off my enemies like flies.

than trust in people;
Far better to take refuge in God
than trust in celebrities.
Hemmed in by barbarians,
in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Hemmed in and with no way out,
in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;
in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
when God grabbed and held me.
God’s my strength, he’s also my song,
and now he’s my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
in the camp of the saved?
“The hand of God has turned the tide!
The hand of God is raised in victory!
The hand of God has turned the tide!”

And now I’m telling the world what God did.
God tested me, he pushed me hard,
but he didn’t hand me over to Death.
Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates!
I’ll walk right through and thank God!
This Temple Gate belongs to God,
so the victors can enter and praise.

21-25 Thank you for responding to me;
you’ve truly become my salvation!
The stone the masons discarded as flawed
is now the capstone!
This is God’s work.
We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!
This is the very day God acted—
let’s celebrate and be festive!
Salvation now, God. Salvation now!
Oh yes, God—a free and full life!
26-29 Blessed are you who enter in God’s name—
from God’s house we bless you!
God is God,
he has bathed us in light.
Festoon the shrine with garlands,
hang colored banners above the altar!
You’re my God, and I thank you.
O my God, I lift high your praise.
Thank God—he’s so good.
His love never quits!

We may quit loving for a while, but God’s love never quits. God created us to love Him back. He created a place in our hearts, minds and souls that is reserved only for God and His love. When we fill it with something or someone else, we have no peace, no life, no love.
Because God’s love never quits and never gives up on us, it is not too late to allow God and His love to wash over us, cleanse every dark spot that offends Him, and then to be filled with His Love. His love covers our sin! Once we do, we can love others like He loves us.

The deeper we go in realizing God’s love for us, the deeper and greater our love is for others. There is a direct correlation of accepting and believing God’s never ending love for us to how deeply we love others.
How well do we love others? How much do we realize God’s love for us?
Through good times and bad, God’s love never quits and never gives up on us. Amazing! Don’t let the shouting words of evil and hate drown out the whispers of God’s love for you today.

Tell Him. Tell Others.

Dear Heavenly Father,
You’re my God, and I thank you.
O my God, I lift high your praise.
I Thank You–You are so good.
Your love never quits!
Thank you for never giving up on me!
In Jesus Name, Amen