At some point in my childhood I learned the “Worm Song”, you know the one that says

           Nobody likes me! Everybody hates me! Guess I’ll go eat worms!

If you’ve never heard it click here.

It goes on and on, there are many versions of it depending on where you learned it.

Little did I know that this song, learned on the playground all those many years ago, would become my theme song!

Life happens and as a result you are faced with the cold hard reality that not everyone around you likes you.It starts on the playground when teams are picked and not only are you the last one picked but they are arguing over whether or not you should play at all because you are so bad. It continues into middle school during those awkward years and unfortunately it continues into adulthood.

As the people filled years began to take their toll, I fully embraced this childhood song. I sang it to myself and I sang it out loud. I sang it into my sister’s answering machine and when my brother in law couldn’t tell who it was he told my sister, “Someone called and sang The Worm song on the answering machine.” Her response was, “That’s my sister.”

Even my girls knew mom’s theme song. One day, when they were in middles school, they heard me singing that song. I can’t remember which one voiced it; apparently they had been talking about it. “Mom, you can’t sing that song any more! It’s a lie! You need to start singing Jesus Loves Me instead!” Such profound words from a middle school student, I wonder where they heard such a thing?”

 

Fast forward

So, today I was reading Psalm 136. For years I have taught that when God repeats Himself we need to pay attention! This Psalm is no exception. As a mother I repeated myself so that my daughters would KNOW that this is IMPORTANT! As I read this once again this morning I noticed I had highlighted

For His lovingkindness is everlasting

This was no real surprise because I have read this a bazillion times over the years. But this morning what captured my attention was what was in between the highlighted parts, and I began to read it out loud. Quickly it read like a responsive reading in the back of a hymnal. But there was even more to it than that!

In the first three verses I begin to realize that the Psalmist is calling the body to thank the Lord remembering who He is, and I highlighted each one.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good

Give thanks to the God of gods

Give thanks to the Lord of Lords

But that’s not all! As I now have slowed down, I am getting more and more excited about what I am seeing! I notice that this is not the paper of a child writing sentences for poor behavior. This is parchment penned by the very hand of God, to make sure that we understand what He is saying! It is so important to Him that we embrace it, He repeats it 26 times!

I have heard it said that the greatest need every person has is to be loved! From this Psalm it looks like God thinks so too!

If I were to stop here I would have enough to chew on, to ponder, to ruminate for today.

However, as I continue to peel back the layers of the Psalm I find myself once again caught up in the GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD! The gospel!

In verse 4, the Psalmist gives us the reason to praise God, because He alone has done great wonders. Because we just celebrated Christmas the hymns of the season are still on my mind. When I read this verse it was against the sound of Joy to the Word playing in the background. The lyrics of the fourth verse capture this truth!

“He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

& wonders, wonders, of His love.”

As I thought about this verse and the words to the song I thought about this word “wonder”. So what exactly does the word wonder mean? English Oxford Living Dictionary defines it this way, A feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar.

My next thought was, “What are the wonders of His love?”

That is when I saw it! The first example of His wonders, Creation! (Psalm 136:5-9) Everything that was created in the heavens and on the earth was because of God’s lovingkindness towards man!

As we all know, the serpent deceived man into believing God didn’t really love them resulting in man’s separation from God and a world that was now broken. It is because of this that all of the human love we have experienced has been flawed in some way!

But not God’s love!

As I kept reading I saw the second example of His marvelous works, His rescue! (Psalm 136:10-25) In these verses we see how God worked on behalf of His people who had been enslaved, setting them free from their enemies on their journey to the promised land!

And last, but not least, we see His enduring love to His people and God’s goodness to all His creatures in the feeding of all creatures!

And finally the confession of Israel that the God of heaven (One true God), alone is able to deliver them from their enemies!

Now that is chesed, God’s loyal love, His covenant faithfulness to His chosen people, whom He loves! It is that sure love that will never let us go!

So what does that have to do with the worm song?

Although I was convicted by the voice of one in middle school those many years ago, I also have the tendency to forget this truth. Isn’t that why God repeats it over and over throughout the Bible?

Reading this I was really challenged on my view of God’s love. Do I feel a sense of amazement and admiration when I think of His love toward me? Do I really understand what His love means? 

If I am to answer in the affirmative then some things have to take place. I must

• take my thoughts captive to the obedience of God’s truths. 2 Cor 10:5
• think on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy. Phil 4:8
• I must bring my behavior in line with what I know to be true.

 I must stop singing the Worm Song and begin to sing

• Jesus loves me!
• The Steadfast Love of the Lord never ceases!

I must remember

•  All human love we’ve experienced is flawed in some way.
• God’s love is perfect and perfectly steadfast forever!
• God has placed His love on us and He will never remove it!
• There is reason to continue no matter how hard life seems and how weak I feel!

When we fully embrace these truths we will have a strong foundation and a true understanding of who we are in Christ and will be ready to handle whatever comes our way!

P.S.

I suggest that you either highlight;

• For His lovingkindness is everlasting
• Give thanks to the _____

in your Bible or download the Psalm which I’ve copied here, and work on it there. (I know some of you are a little leary of writing in your Bible so I wanted to take away the stress!

 

Psalm 136

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

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

4 To Him who alone does great wonders,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

5 To Him who made the heavens ^bwith skill,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

7 To Him who made the great lights,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

8 The sun to rule by day,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

9 The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

10 To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

11 And brought Israel out from their midst,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

12 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

13 To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

15 But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

17 To Him who smote great kings,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

18 And slew mighty kings,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

20 And Og, king of Bashan,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

21 And gave their land as a heritage,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

22 Even a heritage to Israel His servant,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

23 Who remembered us in our low estate,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

24 And has rescued us from our adversaries,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

25 Who gives food to all flesh,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.