From my journal, February 2013
The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions [mercies] never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness! Lamentations 3:22-23
As many times as I’ve read and heard these two verses, this morning something new came alive for me when the two words ‘every morning’ jumped off the page.
Every morning – loving kindnesses (plural).
Every morning – compassions or mercies (plural).
Lord, You alone know what is written on every page of my book in heaven (Psalm 139). Before the earth was ever created, You wrote that book, planning out my days before I was ever conceived in my mother’s womb.
Your plan for me was perfect and designed to lead me to fulfill the purpose for which You chose to create me. And knowing my human weakness, You included in Your plan that every morning of my life, You would make available loving kindnesses and mercies.
You did not just create a magnificent plan for my life; You also provided the means for me to fulfill it, all the while knowing that there would be many days of my life when I was completely ignorant of what You wanted and oblivious to the amazing empowerment available if I would just trust You, listen to You and follow You. Lord, You love is beyond amazing; it is mind-blowing!
Your Word also says, …man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3b
I never put this together before, Lord. I see it! Thank you!
That word ‘proceed’ is in the present tense which means continually proceeding – as in every morning.
So, every morning you have fresh compassions and loving kindnesses that You make available to us for each specific day. Of course You do, because You know what we don’t know!
You know what we will face this day, who we’ll see, how we will need to respond to whatever happens. And because You know what we don’t, You dispense ahead of time – every morning – the loving kindnesses and the fresh compassions or mercies that we will need to walk to navigate this day in holiness and righteousness.
And to help us grasp what You are giving us, You told us that we do not live by bread alone but our life is dependent on every word that proceeds from Your mouth. ‘Give us this day our daily bread…’ has just taken on another depth of meaning. Jesus, You are the Bread of Life. It’s You – bread for my soul – that I need every morning, every moment.
So we wake up every morning to a fresh outpouring of kindness and compassion from You and to food for our soul from Your Word – all of it specific to that day!
Lord, You are so AMAZING!
No wonder it’s so vital to reach for Your Word first thing in the morning! You ALWAYS have something to say to us if we will just look to You at the start of each new day; if we will just open Your Word.
Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for taking Your daily outpouring of grace and revelation for granted. Lord, I want to start each day differently than I have in the past and I begin this morning.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the loving kindnesses You have for me today; thank You for the mercies You have for me today; thank You for the word or words You will quicken to my heart today as I open Your Word today. Equip me for each day according to the Father’s design for my life. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear the ‘proceeding word’ that comes from Your mouth to my heart today.
Holy Spirit, please remind me to start each day according to what You have shown me this morning.