“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that He has done for you; Who is gracious unto all your iniquites, Who heals all your infirmities; Who redeems your life from corruption; Who crowns you with mercy and compassion; Who fulfils your desire with/in good things (Τὸν ἐμπιπλῶντα ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν σου / исполняющаго во благих желание твое) …” (Ps 102/103: 1-5a, Septuagint-translation)
Most of the time, most of us carry around “desire” in our hearts, because as human beings we are lacking, in and of ourselves. We are meant to be “completed” or “fulfilled” through communion with our Creator, and through Him with the rest of creation, both visible and invisible. But our inherent “desire,” which has been called “the God-shaped hole in the heart,” is often misunderstood and hence misdirected. So we might walk around thinking, if only we had more money…, or a different vocation…, or if this or that person paid more attention to us…, or if we had more “likes” on the pictures we post on social media…, or if we were better-looking or thinner or knew more languages…, or if only we could get out of this place and be elsewhere…
I’m not saying that all these are “bad” desires, but the above-quoted Psalm does tell me that we need to entrust them to God, Who “fulfils” them “with/in good things.” We, from our limited, human perspective, don’t “really” know what or who is “good” for us, particularly when God hasn’t given us that someone or something. The Psalm directs me to be grateful today, for “all that He has done” for me in the past, and to trust that He always “fulfils” my “desire,” in the way that He knows to be “good” for me today. So let me not miss out on the “good things” God is giving me today, and on the things He wants to teach me. Let me let myself be grateful to my God, Who has “crowned” me with His mercy and compassion. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name!”
