Fresh Every Morning

The focus of these reflections has centred around New Year resolutions (which we will look at from a practical perspective tomorrow) and more particularly God’s resolve to us, in that He gives us a new start, a fresh beginning.

But we have no need to wait until another lap around the sun before we can start again, before we can reboot. Each day is a new start. Each day God’s mercies and faithfulness can be freshly experienced.

Jeremiah, even in his despair for Israel and the personal miseries suffered for being a prophetic voice to God’s people, was able to proclaim God’s mercies were new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).

He realized that God’s mercy is always fresh to us. Each day is an opportunity to do a mini reset. God hasn’t changed or added to His mercies, but our perception and experience of His mercy needs constant updating – every day.

There is wonderful and merciful provision in a day being only 24 hours. We can sleep and put to bed the things that cause anxiety and fear. If a day was longer, we may find ourselves unable, at times, to bear the load with the increase in time. A day brings some relief, some closure, even if only temporarily.

There is a creational rhythm in the length of the days that is beneficial to humanity, even if only to give a reprieve from the day before. Many of us are glad for this.

It is interesting that the people who speak of the Lord’s mercies being new each day appear to be the people who also rise early to meet with God. This is true of Jesus too, as recorded in Mark 1.35. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. If Jesus rose early to catch a sense of God’s presence, it is likely we should follow the same to experience the same.