New Every Morning

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When you woke up today, you probably looked ahead: What’s coming up today? Something exciting? Something unknown? Something you’d rather not do?

I don’t think it’s really possible to start the day without some expectations. If you’re a “glass half empty” personality, maybe you always expect the worst. Or maybe you’re an optimist, and things look sunny from the get-go. I think it depends a bit on whether you’re a morning person, or “I just need a cup of coffee, so don’t talk to me until later, thank you very much”. Still, a new day always represents a new something. Maybe it’s just a new day, and you can’t see past that. Same old, same old.

Whatever our expectations may be when we roll off the cot, we can be sure of one thing. God’s expectations for your new day are always the same. Day after day. Oddly enough, the Bible talks about this happy truth in the book of - go figure - Lamentations. In Lamentations 3:22, it says

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. God’s compassions – or his mercies – are new every morning. Day after day after day. A new start. Unlimited mercies to be had, overflowing compassion for our troubles. God’s faithfulness is so great that His compassions can be renewed every morning until the cows come home, through eternity. “His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” But don’t miss the first part, the reason why this is all true. “Because of the Lord’s love we are NOT CONSUMED.” Not eaten alive, not burnt to a frazzle, not over our heads. If that’s true, then why do we start the day already consumed with worry, or stress, or anger, or grief, or loss, or fear, or confusion? We don’t have to. Why? God’s love is so great that His compassions, supplied to us every day, keep those bad things from eating us alive. Bad things might still happen, that’s life – but they don’t eat us for breakfast anymore. That’s the truth, and we can choose to accept His love and His mercies every morning when we wake up, or not. I think I’d rather go into the day with mercies in my pocket than without. So no matter what kind of day you’ve got ahead of you, the Lord of all is faithful to see you through it, with a fresh supply of compassion, and mercy to spare. Enough, I think, for you to drop some on a neighbor. Great is His faithfulness!

Standing with you,

Carolyn