The opening verse of Psalm 107 is repeated as a refrain many times in the text: “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” No matter our struggles and deficiencies, God’s hesed—steadfast love, loving-kindness—never comes to an end. In the Hebrew scriptures the word hesed occurs 248 times. Most of those occurrences are in the Psalms, where prayers and songs describe the relationship between God and people. God’s people do not escape the hard times that others suffer, but their trust lies deeper than catastrophe. Through it all, God’s steadfast love remains present.

Recently, hurricanes have destroyed thousands of homes and countless possessions in my state—North Carolina—and fires in California have ravaged thousands more. Natural disasters do not differentiate between good, faithful people and those who do not have faith in God. But those who trust in God’s loving-kindness have a perspective of hope. The prophet Habakkuk bears witness to where his hope lies: “Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food . . . yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17-18).

Thanksgiving plays a huge part in the worship of Israel, especially in the Psalms, which were sung and often accompanied by musical instruments, marching, and dramatic presentations of events. So it is appropriate that the refrain keeps repeating in various forms: “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind” (v. 21). Despite our sufferings from violence and natural disaster, God’s love remains steadfast, and we can offer the same refrain: “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”