“It is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because his [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great and beyond measure is your faithfulness.”
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 AMP
Do you ever feel like you mess up one too many times or can never seem to stay “on track”?
I struggled with this a lot in college. I had unhealthy relationships with things like exercising, food, and alcohol, and constantly struggled with anger issues.
I always kept feeding myself the lie that I was going to do “better” – I was going to exercise more, not overeat, drink less – but when I couldn’t see these things through I considered myself weak and would easily fall into a pit of shame, anxiety, and fear.
Those were the moments when I felt furthest from God and was undeserving of His love.
The verses above helped me get through this challenging season in my life. Despite the fact they were written over 2600 years ago for a grieving nation, they still ring true today for us all.
How? Let me explain it to you by using something in nature.
I want you to take a second and think of the most beautiful sunrise you’ve ever seen. Think about the different colors that stretched across the sky and how those colors illuminated the darkness previously there.
To me, sunrises represent more than a new day; they represent a new beginning. The dark of the night has passed away and the light of the day has taken over.
If there’s one thing I’m sure of every morning, the sun will rise. Even if it’s cloudy and rainy and I’m not able to physically see it, I know that it’s still rising.
The same is true with God’s love, kindness, and compassion. They never fail – they are new every single morning.
His loving-kindness doesn’t depend on us being perfect Christians. It doesn’t depend on us doing everything right. It only depends on what Jesus Christ already did for us on the cross.
I can’t stress this enough: God isn’t looking for perfect people. He’s looking for people who will trust in Him and allow perfect love, kindness, and compassion to wash over them.
It’s important to note that God’s love is NOT dependent upon our feelings. He doesn’t just love us when life is going well.
He also loves us through the hard stuff in life.
He loves us through the anxiety.
He loves us through the pain.
He loves us through the mess-ups.
He loves us.
More importantly, He loves you, my friend.
Yes, even on the days it doesn’t feel like it.
Just because we can’t see the sun because of the clouds, doesn’t mean the sun is no longer there. The same is with God’s love. Even when the struggles and burdens of life are in the way, God is there calling us into His open and loving arms.
Despite what we did last night, one year ago, five years ago, or even ten years ago, He still loves us and is calling us home.
Despite how many times we feel like we try to stay “on track” and fail, He still loves us and is calling us home.
The sun came up this morning, and with it came new love, kindness, and compassion.
We may not deserve it, but thankfully these things don’t depend on us being deserving. Remember: it only depends on what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Reflection Questions
Feel free to write these down or just answer them out loud!
- What does it mean to you that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning?
- Is there anything clouding your view from receiving these mercies? If so, list them and give them over to God.
Prayer
Loving and Compassionate God, Thank you that Your mercies are new each and every morning. There are times that I feel unworthy of these mercies, but that doesn’t mean You stop giving them. I pray that today I can allow your loving, kindness, and compassion to wash over me despite my current circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
