"Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”--Lamentations 3:21-24(NLT)
Have you ever gone to bed at night with the next day on your mind? Were you dreading a task? Worrying about an appointment? Overwhelmed by a full schedule and potentially long day? Or, perhaps you have experienced a traumatic event, are grieving the loss of a loved one, or are holding on to a painful memory or secret that makes each day seem tortuous and unbearable. Did thinking about the next day keep you awake, riddled with anxiety? If you answered yes to any of these questions, may I assure you that you are not alone. May I also assure you that I have good news from the word of God that will reconstruct and change the way you think as you head into a new day.
The word of God tells us that Jesus is familiar and acquainted with human pain and suffering. He experienced human emotions as a man; yet in his deity, He gives us tools, promises, provision, love, and guidance to navigate the rocky terrain of life.
"For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin."--Hebrews 4:15(AMP)
This is good news, because not only does Jesus have sympathy he has empathy. He understands, through experience, what betrayal, pain, hurt, rejection, anger, temptation, and even fear feel like.
We are a people most blessed to have a Heavenly Father who is for us and really wants us to experience victory and success in our lives. That is why Lamentations 3:21-24 is one of my favorite scriptures. It is a scripture that speaks to the essence of the human experience. Sometimes, it may feel like the trials of life are consuming us; like quicksand, the more we try to wriggle our way out, the deeper we sink. It becomes exhausting and discouraging. We may feel weak, weary, tired, disgusted, and simply ready to throw in the towel. In these times, the promises of Lamentations 3:22-23 can potentially settle and calm our spirits, invigorate us, and strengthen our resolve--if we receive these promises by faith.
Consider the following Hebrew word study on Lamentations 3:22-23
(Strong's Exhaustive Concordance):
- mercies (H2617) checed: kindness, pity, lovingkindness, goodness
- consumed (H8552) tamam: spent, fail, finished, destroyed
- compassions (H7356) racham: womb, tender love
- fail (H3615) kaluh: end, faint destroy, waste, to waste away, exhausted, come to an end, destroy, perish, vanish, exterminate
- new (H2319) chadash: fresh, new thing
- morning (H1242) boqer: break of day; sunrise
- great (H7227) rab: abounding, many, abundant, enough
- faithfulness (H4530) 'emuwnah: stability, steadfastness, firmness
When we unpack these verses and study the Hebrew meanings, we quickly see that with each new day, God blesses us with new compassions; new mercies. They are fresh and tailor-made for us each day! They are not yesterday's leftovers. It is because of these new gifts from the Father that we are assured we will not be destroyed or defeated. Each new sunrise is indicative and symbolic of a promise from the Father. So, no matter what you are facing today, you have been fully loaded and equipped with new compassions that will not be exhausted or wasted away. You are able to conquer and overcome. We must simply practice the art of taking one day at a time and welcoming the mercies of God into our lives. Allow God to demonstrate his power in your life.
Prayer:
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for your Word. Your promises are yes and amen. I decree and declare that I will not be consumed or overtaken by the challenges of life. Thank you that your love is enduring and everlasting. Thank you for new mercies each day. Help me to take one day at a time, trusting that you have given me everything I need for this day. Settle my heart with the truth of your Word. I receive it now, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for your Word. Your promises are yes and amen. I decree and declare that I will not be consumed or overtaken by the challenges of life. Thank you that your love is enduring and everlasting. Thank you for new mercies each day. Help me to take one day at a time, trusting that you have given me everything I need for this day. Settle my heart with the truth of your Word. I receive it now, in Jesus' name. Amen.
