‘The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.’ Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)
Our family went on a road trip to Edinburgh, Scotland recently and we all marvelled at the natural beauty that the United Kingdom had to offer. The lush green forests, the most stunning lakes and rivers in the Lake District, farm animals along the road (and in the road), mountainous/hilly terrain along the way and to top it all, we just had the best weather. What a relaxing break.
As we were driving though, it also made me think of how easy it is to live our lives in the memories of ‘holiday-bliss’. Everything is always better when we’re on vacation, away from home. Life is great when we’re on a beach vacation and the stresses of the mundane, crazy-rushed routine are out-of-sight and out-of-mind.
It also made me think of times when I felt like the worst mother on the face of the planet. Lack of sleep and relentlessly long work days with endless meetings meant that I couldn’t deal with an overactive little girl who just wanted to spend time with me. I have to mention that her idea of 'spending time', means rough play or jumping on the trampoline followed by a wild goose chase around the garden and topping it off with a game of hide-and-seek!
I, on the other hand, am the total opposite and my idea of ‘spending time’ means - let’s relax and cuddle on the couch while you tell me about your day.
There were many times I felt I was losing the plot. I would feel so tired after a long day; I hadn’t thought of dinner and her bedtime was getting later and later each day because she was always running on adrenalin!
My exhausted mind and body left me feeling angry and frustrated and the day usually ended with me shouting and screaming instead of trying to take a few minutes out to gather my thoughts before dealing with my super-hyper (and beautiful) daughter.
By the time I fell into bed, I was begging God for forgiveness for not being a better mom. The mom I knew she needed me to be. For those who are moms - you know that Mom-guilt is so real.
RESET & REFRESH
Have you ever had to restart your phone or laptop because it came to a complete standstill? Or maybe you've had to refresh the apps on your phone so that it launches faster?
That's precisely what God does. He resets and refreshes His mercy for us daily so that we start on a new page with Him every day. When we wake up - yesterday’s ‘app-crashes’ or our ‘emotional derailments’ are a thing of the past and we’re ready to launch our day anew.
WHAT IS MERCY?
- The dictionary describes mercy as ‘compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone who it is within one’s power to punish or harm.’
- A biblical description describes it as God keeping us from the destruction that is a natural result of our sinful world. In other words - He withholds what we deserve (destruction), and gives us what we don't deserve - His never-ending love and grace or favour.
We are not perfect and God knows that. Ps 51:5 says that we are sinful from the moment of conception. Yet He calls us His own.
Committing sin is not what makes us sinners, instead, we are sinners by birth - it’s in our very nature.
But Isaiah 53:6 says that, on the cross, The Lord laid our iniquity (or that very evil nature) upon Jesus. The ramifications or repercussions of our sin were taken away and instead, we are given unconditional love, forgiveness, healing, grace and mercy - not only when we think we have messed up and really need it, but we are given a dose of it every day. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
Regardless of what you did yesterday or what wrong you will do or thoughts you will have today or in the future, God CHOOSES to bless you. EVERYDAY. We definitely don’t deserve it, but that’s what mercy does and that’s who Mercy is.
Only when we can truly understand the severity of sin and the consequences that it should carry (John 10:10a - lack, death & destruction) can we honestly take a step back and realise that every day we get through, is only because of God’s never-ending love and His daily portion of mercy. (John 10:10 b).
My Prayer for you
My prayer for you is that you will walk in that divine life that God wants for you. I pray that you will recognise every single blessing that God puts in your path, today and every day from here on out. I pray that the Holy Spirit will become real to you as He walks beside you and lives inside you, drawing you closer to the Father. May you walk in His Peace that surpasses all understanding so when challenges arise that make you want to give up - that the Holy Spirit will nudge you and remind you that God is on your side. And tomorrow is a new day.
What little things have you recognised as a blessing from God today?
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