Psalm 103:1-8
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
“… 5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live …”
It’s tough being a parent. You always want the best for your children. Many parents spend their entire lives seeking to improve the lot of their kids. I guess most of us just want our children’s lives to be good.
God, our heavenly parent, wants the same for us. God desires that we follow the ways of the Lord, obey the commandments, remain faithful to our baptismal identity, and serve others in Jesus’ name. Of course, we fail. That’s because we are sinners. However, God’s love does not fail. God always wants our lives to be good, and God is constantly pointing us in the right direction.
It’s tough being God, who wants the best but often sees the worst. Still, God’s love for us and God’s desire for us remain. Seeking our good is what God is all about. Regardless of where we are in life, God is the one who satisfies us with goodness, grace, and hope. In that way, God models for us the way that we are to go as parents, neighbors, and friends.
Prayer: Heavenly Parent, thank You for providing all that is good for us. Show us how to be better parents to our children, better neighbors in our community, and better friends. Amen.