The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

January 2023 is off and running as I write this. I have heard so many people voice gratitude that 2022 is over and behind us. For me, it wasn’t that bad of a year. What I am grateful for however, is that God’s mercies never come to an end. I can’t close up the 2022 calendar and say, “well, that’s it, the end of God’s mercy”. I need to be reminded that God’s mercy has no end date. I can’t mark on the calendar where it began or where it will end. Which is good news for me because I need His ongoing, never ending mercies. Because I have sinned and odds are good, I will again. But I don’t have to carry the weight of those sins into my new year or even a new day. If I have asked for forgiveness, God’s word assures me that He forgives me. And He will not keep reminding me of my sins and I need to follow His lead on that and stop reminding myself of those sins.

This verse tell us that God’s mercies are new every morning. “Mornings symbolize freshness, new beginnings, and hope. Just as each new morning brings a newness of day, we can look for the light of God’s word to break through the darkness in our lives and feed hope into our souls”. This was written by Danielle Bernock.

Mercy may be defined as not getting what we deserve when we do wrong. God’s mercy is freely given to us because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross. We get the grace we don’t deserve and don’t get the punishment we do deserve.

I am believing that 2023 will be a year of new starts, each day and maybe even minute by minute. I am trusting that God who has wiped away the stain of my sins will help me to freely receive that mercy and also to freely give it to others. How about you? Could you use a fresh start?