Meaningful Reps
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever... (Psalm 136:1-3)
On through 26 lines of timeless truth, the 136th Psalm models in call-and-response format an appropriate and biblical use of meaningful repetition.
What we see here is that substantive repetition can be a great source of inspiration as we recall the faithfulness of our God. It is actually a vital practice for retaining important information. Reiterating something as significant as, “God’s steadfast love endures forever,” is a powerful reminder to combat the frequent thoughts of self-doubt, guilt, and shame we are so often confronted with in our daily experience.
However, the Bible does warn us against vain, empty repetition; reiterating a phrase that has no significance, power, or purpose. Why? For several reasons, but foremost in my mind is because every moment spent repeating a thought like, “You’re no good,“ could have been used to reiterate, “You are loved.” Every moment spent saying something like, “Why me?” could have been spent saying, “I trust You God.”
So we should never be ashamed to rehearse the truth of God’s Word. Repetition builds a powerful foundation for understanding, wisdom, and knowledge. We won’t find a place in the Bible where someone is sincerely reiterating a truth regarding God’s character as an act of worship and God tells them to stop. So let’s go ahead and get some meaningful reps in to strengthen our faith. Review Psalm 136 (or another uplifting passage of Scripture) and turn it into a personal prayer of praise!
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