December 20, 2025 -- Psalm 90:15 -- Crying out for the never-ending, soul-satisfying love of God

People loved by the Father, in the power of the Spirit: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
   that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:14 ESV
 
What a glorious prayer request is available to believers. The writer, Moses, has in verse 13, acknowledged the familiar feeling of being far from God (return, O LORD!). This is the same Moses of whom God said, “I speak to Moses face to face” (Exodus 33:11). How devastating it must be when Moses who was familiar with the nearness of the compassionate, gracious God should now feel instead the absence of that majestic, comforting, glorious presence. He is hungering and thirsting for the Living God and therefore demands to be satiated with God’s fulfilling love.
 
Moses knew that the steadfast love of God is always nearby. The steadfast love of God is a translation of the famous Hebrew word hēsēd. Hēsēd love emphasizes the covenant faithfulness of God. His unfailing love that is within reach of all who seek their gracious Father with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
 
It is our sinfulness, our waywardness, our toying with sin, our focus on things present, or circumstances which divert our eyes from the warmth of our Father’s love and presence. The morning sets the tone for the whole day. Crying out for the renewal of one’s awareness of the love of God is pictured in my brain as an infant in a crib, just awake, who cries for the nearness of a parent. Though the monitor is on, though the parent is near, the infant has hands outstretched longing to be embraced, because fear has caused him to think maybe his parent is far away. More than having a diaper changed, more than eating, the desire is for the sensation of the arms of a parent securely wrapped round about him, the sweet closeness of being in the bosom of the parent with the warmth of breath on the neck.
 
Why are some of our days, or weeks, so difficult? Why are we off to a bad start of a day and a worse finish to our day? Could it be we have neglected to cry out to God? Could it be we have become so familiar to our soul’s urgent longings for God and substituted things, busy-ness, addictions, people or other loves in the place of the steadfast love of God? Eventually we are numbed. Our familiar soul-need-and-longing for the Presence of our Father is thrust aside by habitual neglect—well, then it should be no surprise when we are left wondering where God went?
 
Ah, this is the beauty of Christmas. The steadfast, wall-smashing, door-busting, soul-chasing love of God never ceases. His mercies are new every morning. He has demonstrated this most clearly in Jesus Christ—Who left His Father’s throne, becoming incarnate as a man. He is Immanuel, God with us. Taking our sinfulness, bearing the punishment for our sins. Taking away our shame far from us so that we can call out to the Father with the assurance we are heard, we will be heard, we have been heard. It is the compassion of God which brought about the reconciling work of Jesus, so that all who call out to God, “satisfy me in the morning with Your loyal, never-ending love” are soul-strengthened by the Spirit to make this plea. Be assured, He is near. His embrace warms you.
 
Return, O LORD!
Have pity on us, Your people.
Forgive us our half-hearted service and our prayerless prayers.
Satisfy us once again, this morning, with Your strong, faithful love. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/sriugl-nO38?si=mvfykpz83m7YHnEI Immanuel
 

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