A New Day

The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, for His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

I try really hard to be consistent every morning to stretch my muscles. It helps with mobility, arthritis and especially my sciatic nerve problems. Just like most things, the consistency part trips me up. The desire for extra sleep, additional things to get done in the morning and even the good old, “I just don’t want to today,” become hindrances and interrupt my consistency. One day last week, I had conquered all my “excuses” and was lying in the floor stretching. I was in a position that I could look up and see out my bedroom door through the living room and out the front picture window. It was a beautiful sight, the sun was starting to rise and cast a comforting glow across the room. The morning was new and there was hope of a new day and good things to come. This verse in Lamentations came to mind.

In the ESV translation, it uses the word “steadfast”. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. Steadfast means fixed or never changing. In this verse, Jeremiah was reminding God’s people that all was not lost. What do you mean, all is not lost? He had just witnessed the devastation of Jerusalem. The city walls, the temple and king’s palace were destroyed, and survivors were taken to far away Babylon. Jeremiah was “lamenting”, his sorrow was overwhelming but, in his weeping, and grief, He knew God is faithful. The people had rebelled against God and turned to the pleasures of sin. Yes, they may have brought this on themselves but there was and is hope. God is good and is merciful to humbled and repentant hearts. Trials will come, of that we can be sure. It is how react to the trials that will make the difference. Jeremiah is reminding God’s people (that includes us), that God still has a purpose for us. He is waiting patiently for our repentance and His only desire is restoration. Great is HIS faithfulness.

Pastor Julia Scott