I came home one night from a paint party years ago with this painting in hand. I was guided step by step on how to paint this canvas, and the results took me by surprise! As I walked into the living room that evening , I excitedly showed my husband my great accomplishment! His immediate response was, “YOU painted this?” His question was completely e appropriate because he knows arts and crafts are definitely not a strength of mine! And he followed that question with, “Why did you pick that verse?”
“Great is His faithfulness! His mercies begin afresh each morning!” I read that verse that evening and I felt an immediate sense of comfort and peace completely surround my heart! I knew that I need to visually see this truthful declaration every day, hanging somewhere in my house, and then I needed to teach my heart and mind to rest in that truth!
It’s way too easy to live buried beneath a heavy pile of condemnation, guilt and shame. But yet Jesus declares that those of us that are in Him have been pulled from all that rubble and have been made free! In Christ, we have been redeemed and have received mercy! (John 316-17) Although, our sin deserves condemnation, instead we have received an unending supply of His mercy!
In the process of God cleaning us up, our fight against our sin nature can be quite painful and discouraging. The purpose of God sanctifying us was not to lead us down a path of discouragement, but rather one that leads us closer to Him and to be more like Him! But yet the grace of God is present, providing a timely, impactful word of truth in verses like Lamentations 3:23, that we all need in those painful moments …. and that truth is is that God’s mercies ARE new every morning… EVERY morning, and all throughout the day!
When guilt, shame and condemnation seek to overcome you, remember that you have been washed in new mercies today by a God who has a great love for you and He has set you free!
Highlighting the hope that we have in Christ! 