Your Mercies Are New Every Morning

"Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

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Happy New Year! It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through the first month of the year. I always like to say that January is a free trial month. We are just coming off of the glitz and excitement from the holidays, we are focused on resolutions, we are headed back to work, all of our family has gone home. For some, January can be a little bit of a challenging month to get through. For me, admittedly, it's probably my least favorite winter month.

If you live where I live, in the frozen tundra of Central New York, as I like the call it, January can be a very dismal, gray, and snowy month. If you're like me, and you need that dose of vitamin sea and sunshine, you may have your sights set on heading south! Yes, my goal someday is to become a snowbird!

For the longest time, January has generally made me quite miserable. It's cold, dark, and a long month. But, like many people, I have often thought of January, as a fresh start. The beginning of the new year, a time where we can really reset, refocus, and start reaching for those new goals that we have set for ourselves in the next 12 months. In fact, hustle and heart used to be my motto every January. We've got to hustle to reach those goals, and we've got to reach them fast! If we don't reach our goals by January 31, we might as well forget about it, right?

Nope!

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Recently, one night when I was praying and meditating on scripture, I heard a still, small voice speak into my weary soul. I was already discouraged because I had forgotten to do one of my own goals! Day 2, and I had missed a day. I shook my head and went back to praying.

This verse from Lamentations 3:23 was placed on my heart. "Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." (NLT) The hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" popped up first on my shuffled playlist. It was clear that the Lord was speaking to me, but what was He trying to help me understand? Simply put: every single day is a fresh start. Every morning that we are blessed to have is a new chance, a new beginning, a new opportunity to trust in Him and glorify Him.

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Friends, we don't need to wait for a new year to make changes, set goals, or try new things. We can start at any time, any moment, any day. Why? Because we have a God who goes before us. We have a God whose mercies are new every morning. We have a God who promises to turn our weeping into joy.

Every breath God gives us is worth celebrating. Every minute we have a choice to start over. It's never too late, and we're never too far from His love. Don't stress. Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Don't beat yourself up for not following the "new year, new you" mentality that the world pushes. We might be in the world, but we don't need to be of the world. If you want to make a change, if you want to start new, let Christ make you new.

"Cause You are shelter from the rain. You are healing for my pain. You make all things new, like the morning dew. You are love that will not change, You are worthy of my praise. Lord, I’m singing this song to You." - Sherry Anne