Day #1 - The Gift of a New Day (New Year)
The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
For the past couple of years I worked on a book about thanksgiving and wonder. I couldn’t get the concept to come together until I thought of it as a devotional. I decided to release this as a daily entry on my blog and let you in on the journey of writing it. I desire to write daily to encourage myself and others to seek encounters with God. I don’t know if I will be able to keep up with the demand of writing daily or if this will be a 7 day, 30 day, 90 day or more project. I will write on other topics at times as well. If this series “The Presence” encourages you and feeds your soul, please share it with others and let me know how you are being blessed. Thank you.
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV
There is mercy in the morning. Each day contains a new beginning. There is something wonderful about a fresh start. If each day contains new mercy, how about the first new day of a new year?
When I went through a health crisis in my late 30s, nothing seemed to help me but an almost 90 year old health coach. I had exhausted all my options to no avail. But then God brought Dr. Freddy into my life. I didn’t want to change my diet at first. But this wise soul was able to coach me to health. For about 18 months I battled back and fourth with horrible symptoms that affected not only my physical health but also my mental health. I wanted to give up on this journey of health and detoxification. I remember when I felt like throwing in the towel on one occasion and I was on a call with Dr. Freddy.
He said, “What are you going to do? Give up now? Look how far you have come. Besides, you never know what the gift of another day holds. You might wake up tomorrow and turn a corner.”
I don’t know if I turned a corner on that day, but along that journey to recover my health and heal, there were several days that I was met with mercy.
A new day containing new mercy can almost sound magical. However, our Maker has hard-wired natural law into creation as we see in a new day, a new season and a new year to teach us things about His ways. And if we pay attention we can see possibilities in a new beginning.
The prophet Jeremiah writes in Lamentations with great grief for all of the darkness and judgement the people of God have walked through. But here we see hope breaking in as Jeremiah turns to the nature of the Lord to meet us with mercy every morning where His compassions never fail.
Today is an opportunity of a new year with new mercy. Don’t be a prisoner of the past but look for the possibility of mercy today.
Oh, how I want to be in the presence of the One who meets with mercy everyday.
Today mercy. The next day mercy. The morning is for mercy. You don’t like what today holds, give it one more. God is faithful.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for mercy in the morning. Thank you for the gift of a new day. Help me to see the possibility of you meeting me with mercy at the beginning of this new year. Your compassions never fail. This is how I want to start my day everyday this year, with a reminder that you love to give us new beginnings. In Christ Jesus name, Amen.
Pastor John, after seeing a spectacular sunrise with the glory of the Lord declared to the point where I could not even process the beauty, I read your Day #1 which declares the Lord's mercy every morning and His faithfulness. Our Father knows how to give good gifts. You are a gift to us - have a great day!
Good stuff as always, John. Thank you for the encouragement!