Excited to read devotional thoughts from Pamela Polanco this week! Be sure to stop by the contributors page to learn more about her.
In reading Lamentations recently, I was captivated by the verses preceding the well-known words of hope and mercy. In a state of mourning, the prophet expresses feelings of being cast aside and unheard by God, a sentiment many of us can relate to at times.
Approaching a new year, we often pray for good times and hope to avoid hardships. While we desire perfect days, deep down, we know it won’t always be the case. Therefore, preparing for low seasons may be more beneficial by focusing on unchangeable truths from God’s Word.
In troubling circumstances, the prophet’s hope was renewed, stating, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
First, if we had moments in this ending year where we felt like we were barely hanging by a thread, that’s okay. Let’s praise the Lord because He didn’t let go and won’t start now. By His mercies, we were not consumed. God is continuously carrying us through the difficulties of life.
Second, with the new year comes the certainty of new daily mercies. No matter how difficult the previous day —or year— was, we can trust that God’s mercies are new every morning. We are assured that we can rely on His endless supply of grace and compassion. Every. Single. Day. So, let’s run to Him daily for those mercies.
Third, on each day of this upcoming year, we can fully trust in the greatness of His faithfulness. For instance, even in the midst of unimaginable trouble, the prophet knew deep down that God was faithful. And He remains faithful to us, regardless of the challenges we face. His faithfulness is not conditioned by our circumstances (really, the prophet’s own state at the time could attest to this fact). As I often remind myself, He is the Faithful one —it’s part of His very essence, and nothing can change that.
Fittingly, Paul David Tripp wrote, “One of the stunning realities of the Christian life is that in a world where everything is in some state of decay, God’s mercies never grow old. They never run out. They never are ill-timed. They never dry up. They never grow weak. They never get weary. They never fail to meet the need. They never disappoint. They never, ever fail, because they really are new every morning.”
As we prepare for a new year, make plans, and hope great days await us, let’s prepare our hearts for the hard days. It’s easy to fall into the pit of distress during difficult times. That’s why we must regularly remind ourselves of anchoring Truths: His track record shows he has not failed us before, ensuring He will not do so now. Every morning brings fresh mercies from Him. And, thankfully, we can always trust that He is our ever-faithful God.
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