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We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below. Read Psalm 136:1-9  Listen to Psalm 136:1-9 This is a great psalm of praise and has a repeated response phrase which is seen in several other places in scripture. A priest or Levite would call out the reasons to give thanks and the response would be said or sung by the ordinary people. The psalm follows a familiar pattern of praise and remembrance: It starts by praising God for who he is, then celebrates God as supreme creator providing all we need. It moves on to remember the deliverance from Egypt and gives hope, faith and confidence to his people for the moment and the future. The way that Yahweh provided guidance, food, water, victory and the Promised Land in the amazing story of survival is then described. How well God looked after thousands of people in such a hostile place for 40 years! I have enjoyed looking at old family photographs recently. My Dad was one of six and for several years Grandma and her children with their spouses and the sixteen grandchildren all went on holiday together. I’m afraid we took over quite a large portion of any beach we went to! We also had a big family party at Christmas - hiring church halls to accommodate us all. Everyone got on so well and it helped to keep relationships healthy from year to year. It is good to remember happy times. So let us remember how God has delivered us from our sin and provided for us in the past. The Israelites didn’t have photographs and most didn’t have the written word and so it was important for the people to be reminded by singing and speaking out their history. Thank you Lord, that you have provided for us in the past and we trust you to provide for us in the future.