I delight to show mercy. — from Micah 7:18
There’s nothing quite so welcome as a bright, fresh dawn after a dark, stormy night. Peace and tranquility take the place of turmoil and stress, and all seems right with the world. Frayed nerves are calmed, troubled spirits are soothed, trepidation steps aside, and hope is restored.
A fresh start is at hand!
The darkness of the prophet Jeremiah’s night was terrifying. Not only had he suffered the abuses and indignities of cruel men, but his sufferings had led him into the deepest spiritual gloom and the darkest night of the soul. His pain was intensely physical and emotional, and the anguish of his tormented spirit was near unbearable.
But after his description of his turbulent, stormy, fearsome night comes a remarkable statement about God’s mercies morning by morning: The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day (Lamentations 3:22-23). Fresh mercies every day! These mercies are not listed, but we know they stem from God’s faithfulness and are hidden in God himself.
Jeremiah insisted, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him” (3:24). Apparently, Jeremiah had discovered the secret of being able to return morning by morning to renew his relationship with the Lord and to drink deeply of His “unfailing love.” This love was unfailing because it was the source and the substance of the covenant that God had made with His people. This covenant was an agreement and promise never to leave them or forsake them—a commitment guaranteeing that God would be nothing less than God to His people, at all times and in all circumstances.
Like Jeremiah, we need to start each new day on a fresh note, reminding ourselves of the unfailing love of our covenant-making and promise-keeping God, whose mercies are fresh each morning.
Some of us try to make it through a stormy week on the basis of mercies delivered fresh from the pulpit on Sunday morning, which unfortunately have become stale by Wednesday. For the rest of the week we struggle to remember what we heard and how it relates to the latest storms of life.
God offers fresh mercies each morning which are to be found in communion with Him through His Word, through prayer, and through fellowship with His people. Dark nights then give way to fresh mornings, and God’s mercies bring fresh energy and vigor with which to meet the day. So, make sure you start each day fresh!