“Embrace the Lord’s mercy that meets you every morning. Let it wash over your past mistakes and fill your heart with hope.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 22, 2024
Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
My wife, Rita, and I just returned from a week in South Dakota with our children and grandchildren. God winked and reassured us each morning with 55 degrees and an early sunrise over a mountain majestically revealed off the front porch of our Airbnb. Picture a morning when the dawn’s first light whispers the promise of a new day. As the sun rises, so does the hope within us, casting away the shadows of yesterday’s failures. In these moments, we find the heartbeat of God’s mercy, a gentle reminder that His grace renews with every sunrise.
Mercy. It’s a word that breathes life into our weary souls. Mercy is a recurring theme of Scripture that binds the stories of broken people and our redemptive God. One such story is that of King David. A man after God’s own heart, yet a man deeply flawed. His life was a tapestry woven with moments of triumph and threads of failure. Adultery, deceit, and murder marked his path, yet God’s mercy never departed from him. In Psalm 51, David’s cry for mercy resonates deeply: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.” Here, we see a man who understood the depth of his sin but also the boundless nature of God’s mercy. David’s plea is not just a confession; it’s an acknowledgment of a divine characteristic that defines our relationship with God.
Mercy is more than forgiveness; it’s God’s compassion in action. It’s the father running to meet his prodigal son, embracing him with tears and restoration. It’s Jesus, stooping to write I love you in the sand, lifting a woman from her shame and declaring, “Neither do I condemn you.” Mercy sees us at our worst and loves us still. We live in a world quick to judge and slow to forgive, where mistakes are magnified, and grace is scarce. But God’s kingdom operates on a different principle. In Lamentations 3:22-23, we are reminded that God’s daily mercies and enduring nature are able to bring us comfort and a sense of security. Each day is a fresh page, unmarked by yesterday’s failures, filled with the promise of God’s enduring grace.
As you encounter broken people like yourself daily, remember that you are a vessel of divine mercy entrusted with a sacred duty. Insist in your spirit that your first instinct be to extend grace and reflect the heart of your heavenly Father, who loves unconditionally. Let mercy guide your actions and words in your home, workplace, and community. This is not just a suggestion but a responsibility and a source of empowerment, giving you the option to generously love in your daily interactions. Max Lucado once wrote, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be like Jesus.” Mercy is the bridge that spans your imperfection to God’s perfection. It’s the catalyst for transformation, not because you deserve it, but because God is love, and His love is expressed most beautifully through mercy. This transformative power of mercy can fill you with hope and inspire you to be conduits of God’s unending compassion.
So today, embrace the Lord’s mercy that meets you every morning. Let it wash over your past mistakes like a spiritual bath and fill your heart with hope. Let it transform and inspire you to be the conduit of God’s unending grace. For in His mercy, you find not just forgiveness but the strength to start fresh by accepting Christ’s forgiveness, forgiving yourself, and forgiving others.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your new mercies each day. Help me to recognize and embrace them, finding strength and hope in Your unending love. Guide me to live each day with gratitude, trusting in Your faithfulness. May Your mercies renew my spirit to generously give mercy to all. Amen.
Application
What area of my life has God already forgiven that I need to extend compassion and forgiveness to myself?
Related Reading
Psalm 23:6; Micah 6:8; Luke 6:36; James 2:13
Worship Resource
We The Kingdom: God Is On The Throne
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