If I’ve Told You Once, I’ve Told You a Thousand Times

Weekday Posts
Written By Dean Collins

By Dean Collins

Have you ever delivered that message in frustration over some rule or process you have given clear instructions about, yet for some reason no one is doing it? In the marketing world, the “rule of 7” suggests that we need to hear something seven times before it gets through to us. Communication theory likewise suggests that it can take hearing a message five to seven times before we internalize it. Chances are you haven’t delivered the message 1,000 times, but repeating a message over and over, and in different ways, does help with memory. I am not sure the phrase I referenced has to do with not hearing something. It may very well be that the person hearing it just doesn’t want to do it.

Maybe the psalmist knew that repetition is important if we are going to learn something. In this psalm, we read about God’s steadfast love 26 times. Every verse of this psalm speaks of God’s steadfast love. In the Psalms alone, we read of God’s steadfast love (chesed in Hebrew) 127 times. And yet, how often do we fail to consider or remember that we are experiencing the steadfast love and mercy of God multiple times each day?

Psalm 136 opens, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” In 1 Thessalonians 5, the apostle Paul reminds us to give thanks in all circumstances. God is good, and God is continually present with us in every circumstance we go through. Giving thanks to God should be a regular refrain in our lives.

The psalmist goes on to list multiple reasons that demonstrate—and have demonstrated—the steadfast love of God:

  • He has done great wonders.

  • By his understanding, he created the heavens.

  • He makes the sun rise and set.

  • He rescued the Hebrews from bondage.

  • He rules the moon and the stars.

  • He remembered us in our low estate.

This psalm is a beautiful prayer that gives God praise and declares many reasons God has expressed, and continues to express, his chesed—his steadfast love and mercy.

Take some time in the next few days to consider your own list of reasons and experiences where you have seen and felt the steadfast love and mercy of God in your life. I bet we all could come up with at least 26. Maybe this psalm is a gentle reminder that God has told us a thousand times and in a thousand ways that he loves us. I suspect he knows that telling us or showing us just once would never be enough for us to remember.

Father, we are in awe of how much you love us! Thank you for your steadfast love and mercy that flows through every day of our lives. Today, we pause to remember the many ways you have cared for us. Thank you for Jesus, who laid down his life for us so that we might know you and know what love looks like. Help us to love like Jesus today. Amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 136:1-26 ESV

Photo by Pexels
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.

Dean Collins

Pastor, campus minister, counselor, corporate employee, Fortune 500 consultant, college president—Dean brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives to his daily walk with God’s Word. 

In 1979 he founded Auburn Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational campus ministry that still thrives today. In 1989 he founded and became executive director for New Directions Counseling Center, a service that grew to include several locations and counselors. In 1996 he became vice president of human resources for the CheckFree Corporation (3,000 employees) till founding DC Consulting in 1999. He continues part-time service with that company, offering executive leadership coaching, organizational effectiveness advice, and help with optimizing business relationships.

His latest pursuit, president of Point University since 2006 (interim president 2006-2009), has seen the college grow in enrollment, curriculum, physical campus, and athletic offerings. He led the school’s 2012 name change and relocation from Atlanta Christian College, East Point, Georgia, to Point University in West Point, Georgia. Meanwhile, he serves as board member or active volunteer with several nonprofits addressing issues ranging from global immunization to local government and education. 

He lives in Lanett, Alabama, with his wife, Penny. He has four children (two married) and five grandchildren. He plays the guitar, likes to cook, and enjoys getting outdoors, often on a nearby golf course. 

Next

Choosing Who We Worship