Thursday Psalms: Give Thanks to the LORD!

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

The psalmist has written 26 verses in Psalm 136, each ending responding to who God is and what God has done for us.  Knowing every word of Scripture is God-given, here we have God Himself reminding us that His steadfast love endures forever.  Since I haven't included all verses, you may want to open your Bible and read through all of them.  While the repetition may feel tedious, it's a great reminder of God's never-ending love and forgiveness for YOU.  God is always faithful in His mercy, and gives it to YOU over-and-over-and-over!

Psalm 136:1–3, 23–26

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

     for His steadfast love endures forever.

² Give thanks to the God of gods,

     for His steadfast love endures forever.

³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

     for His steadfast love endures forever;

²³ It is He who remembered us in our low estate,

     for His steadfast love endures forever;

²⁴ and rescued us from our foes,

     for His steadfast love endures forever;

²⁵ He who gives food to all flesh,

     For His steadfast love endures forever.

²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven,

     for His steadfast love endures forever. 

In the first three verses God calls us to be thankful, not only that the Lord is good, but also that He is God and Lord over all nations, kings, and all people.  In verses 4-9 we are reminded that God shows His steadfast love by the great wonders in His created natural world.  In verses 10-22 the psalmist reminds us of God's steadfast love and faithfulness shown as God rescued His children from slavery in Egypt and established them in the land He promised to give them.  

In the final section of this psalm [verses 23-26 above], the focus becomes more personal.  The one true God, who created and is Lord over all things, remembers YOU!  You're not just one of billions of people currently breathing air on this earth; YOU are a loved and remembered child of God, whose steadfast love for YOU endures forever!  Give thanks to the Lord, who rescues YOU from many earthly disasters, struggles and foes.  And even better, God ALWAYS rescues you from the evil foe, the devil and all the sins he tempts you to commit.  Give thanks to the Lord, who gives to YOU food and all other needs and comforts of your life!

Let's all pause many times today to commit the first verse of this psalm to memory.., and actually do what it says!

Giving thanks to the Lord for His steadfast love,

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday July 26, 2026

 

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

July 26, 2026

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Our Summer Sunday schedule has started with our Worship service beginning at 9:30 am.  Afterwards, around 10:30 or so, please join us and enjoy food and conversations together.

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS 

  Old Testament:  Deuteronomy 7:6-9

               Psalm:  Psalm 125

              Epistle:  Romans 8:28-39

              Gospel:  Matthew 13:44-52

THEME FOR WORSHIP

Ever have those moments when you wonder what God sees in you?  What does He think of me?  Today’s Old Testament reading gives us God’s answer in very clear terms and even tells you why God feels the way He does about you.  Here’s one thing God says:  He has chosen you to be His treasured possession!  

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Peace Be Upon You!

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

This psalm has a very national tone, possibly written shortly after the Israelite nation returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon.  They largely trusted in God to keep His promise of restoration, and the Lord rescued them.  Their restoration & return to Jerusalem was just one of many times when the Lord acted mightily on behalf of His people.  Israel was the nation of God's chosen people.  God set them apart, protected and preserved them throughout history, because they were & are His.

Psalm 125

¹ Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

     which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

² As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

     so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore.

³ For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous,

     lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.

⁴ Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,

     and to those who are upright in their hearts!

⁵ But those who turn aside to their crooked ways

     the Lord will lead away with evildoers!

         Peace be upon Israel! 

You and I, along with all Christ-believers remain His.  Verse two reminds us how the Lord surrounds us, making us His people.  In Deuteronomy 7:6 the Lord tells us:  The Lord your God has chosen you to be...His chosen possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.   WOW!  This is the best possible news!  ...and why would God choose you & me?  ...it is because the Lord loves you... [v 8a].  God has chosen you to be His treasured possession, simply because He loves you, and promises to ALWAYS love you!

What does this mean to your daily life as a Christ-believer?  Like Mount Zion and the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, we are held fast by the Lord.  We trust in the Lord and our faith cannot be moved.  God does good to us, by keeping His good promises made to us.  Many promises are made & kept, like Jesus' death & resurrection to save you and me from sin and death.  Many promises are actively being kept, such as the fact that God will never leave us or forsake us.  Many promises are made and are going to be kept, like our place in heaven and our bodily resurrection on the Last Day.

All of these blessings give us peace and comfort:  the faith God gives us, the trust in His promises, and the forgiveness of our sins.  We're forgiven and restored as God's loved child, every single time we confess our sins to Him.  Above all, God's forgiveness restores us to being at peace with Him.

Peace be upon Israel, the Lord's people, which includes YOU!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9