On November 12, we celebrated National Father's Day. Many people shared photos with their fathers, but on the other hand, many felt sad because they had lost their fathers. Some grew up without a father figure, while others had a father but didn't have a close relationship. This phenomenon is known as the fatherless generation, a condition that is not just about the physical absence of a father. Fatherless also talks about the emotional distance between a child and the father figure in his family. The father who knew, protected, and guided with love.
Psalm 103 brings us to the face of God who answers that longing. The psalmist opens with a simple but profound invitation, "Praise the LORD, O my soul; praise his holy name, all my inward parts" (verse 1). He was speaking to himself, reminding himself to be thankful and not forget God's goodness. He knew very well that if he stopped remembering God's love, his heart would slowly lose its way. Then the psalmist began to remember one by one the works of God's love: He forgives, heals, saves, crowns, and satisfies (verse 3 & 5). God forgives when we fall, heals every wound, rescues lives from the brink of despair, crowns with steadfast love, and satisfies hearts that thirst for the meaning of life. His love is not just words, but spans our entire existence.
His message is so touching and comforting, “As a father loves his children, so the LORD loves those who fear Him. For He knows what we are made of, He remembers that we are dust. ” God's love is not a demanding love, but an understanding love. He knows we are weak, He knows we are fragile, and that is precisely why He is merciful. God does not treat us according to our faults, because His love is higher than the heavens on earth.
Friends of the Bible, there may be some of us who grew up without a father's embrace, no longer seeing him or feeling distant from the one who was supposed to protect us. But today's Psalm reminds us that in God, we have a true father. He provides everything in our lives. Guiding us in the darkness, and reminding us of the mistakes we may choose to make. At the same time, for those of us who are entrusted with the role of a father, live out our responsibilities with love and the full realization that whatever we do to our children will be their emotional and spiritual foundation.
