A New Start

Just looking at the sunshine out my window and listening to the kids waiting for the school bus reminds me of how I love mornings. The day is alive and well, and thankfully so am I. The mistakes of yesterday that I still have to deal with today and the knotty work problems (the insurance company that denied the claim, the unending paperwork...) don't seem quite as daunting after God's gift of a good night sleep. Once I am up, exercised and "tea-d," I'm ready to spend time with God and see what He has in store.

I guess what gives this "recovering pessimist" the most hope is God's character. Just look at the context surrounding the declaration in Lamentations (the little book right after Jeremiah) 3:22-23 NKJV, "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness." --What provokes so much faith during such difficulties?

If His people can say things like that even in the most awful circumstances, this is a God I want to know more. Want to hear another inspired-during-a-mess declaration of this mighty God's followers? Again, look at the context for Habakkuk (after Micah and Nahum in the Old Testament) 3:17-19. My paraphrase: "Though absolutely awful things happen, I will be happy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength. He helps me endure and achieve more than I ever thought I could."

This is the kind of God I need to face every today no matter what it holds. --More good news: I have this kind of God. In Heb 13:8 the writer of Hebrews states that Jesus Christ, God-in-the-flesh is the same character-wise throughout all time. This means that He doesn't change His mind on a whim. What He valued yesterday, or when He inspired the Bible, is what He values today. The world will change, circumstances change, people change, but my God doesn't. He loves me as much as He loved Moses, Enoch, Elijah, Abraham, Sarah, Rahab, Paul, Noah, ... and He deals with me in similar fashion.

All of the above in one way or another had a new start. The Bible biographies tell me that people cannot encounter the living God and not have new opportunities. There are others who encountered Him who chose to remain who they were before, only more so--Ahab, Jezebel, Herod, Judas, ... . But today I'm focusing on the new start.

Lord, thank You so very much that Your mercies are new every morning--Monday through Sunday. Thank You that nothing is hidden from You (Ps 139), and that I have the privilege of getting to know You better every day. Not only is nothing hidden from You, but You don't hide Yourself from those who want You and seek You. Yet I can't even take credit for that--for I love You because You first loved and reached out to me. What a wonder-full God You are. I love you back with the love You gave me. Barb