“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (ESV)

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (NIV)

For many years, we were told that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. A plate full of eggs, bacon, whole wheat toast and fruit was considered a really great way to begin your morning, and to fuel your body. You started the day energized and satisfied.

Then one day we were told bacon is bad for you, and in fact you should skip breakfast altogether and fast until lunch. Since then, the idea of a healthy morning routine has volleyed back and forth, with endless (strong) opinions. In some ways, it’s harder than ever to start the day in a way that leaves us feeling confident and satisfied.

Psalm 90 was a prayer written by Moses (were you surprised by that??!!) and he is not confused about where to find satisfaction. When he wrote these words, he’d been tasked with leading hundreds of thousands of tired and weary people in the desert. His everyday work was grueling. But Moses knew not to chase the affections of the people; He knew what both he and they truly needed was the joy of the Lord to carry them through the brutal conditions they faced.

In wisdom and humility, he asked for God’s blessing for himself and His people.

He asked God to satisfy them in the morning with His steadfast love. 

In these verses, the word morning is literal but it also represents a new era of joy for God’s people. God had heard their cries for mercy and had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Even while their hearts were divided, God gave them freedom and He did so through the leadership of Moses, a man he called friend. Moses had tasted the goodness of the Lord and he personally knew His steadfast and unfailing love.

All these years later, the steadfast love of the Lord remains the only thing that can satisfy our deepest needs. In Matthew 5, Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” This kind of hunger goes far beyond our earthly needs and is only satisfied by our Creator. 

Beginning the day with or without eggs will never fully satisfy us, and we will never find the perfect morning routine or ritual. His steadfast love alone can do that. It brings lasting joy and is truly the best way to begin all our days. 

May we never start a single day without seeking His satisfying presence.

Written by LeeAnn Randall