July 17: Begin Again
Scripture
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
– Lamentations 3:22–26 (NLT)
This passage is one of the most hope-filled declarations in all of Scripture, and it is found in a book called Lamentations. That is what makes it so remarkable. Jeremiah is not writing these words on the other side of breakthrough. He is writing in the middle of grief, exile, and devastating loss. Jerusalem has fallen. The temple has been destroyed. His people are in ruins. And yet, from that place, he lifts his eyes and declares something that has sustained the faith of God’s people ever since. The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness. These are not the words of someone with easy circumstances. They are the words of someone with a resolute God.
And then Jeremiah says something that changes everything about how we face each morning. God’s mercies begin afresh each day. That means no matter how far we have run, no matter how badly we have failed, no matter how long we have been walking in the wrong direction, a fresh start is always available. His grace does not run out. His patience does not wear thin. Every morning is an invitation to begin again, not because we deserve it but because He is faithful. That is the nature of mercy. It meets us not at the point of our performance but at the point of our need.
“Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not by what I feel about him or myself or my neighbors.”¹
— Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Peterson understood what Jeremiah is modeling. In the middle of his grief, Jeremiah does not wait for his feelings to change before he speaks truth. He says to himself, the Lord is my inheritance, therefore I will hope in Him. He makes a choice to anchor his hope in who God is, not in what he sees around him. That is the challenge for us too. Where is your hope today? What are you trusting in for comfort, security, or peace? The world offers plenty of alternatives. But only God is unchanging, unfailing, and full of mercy. Jeremiah’s declaration is an invitation. Choose hope. Not because the circumstances have changed, but because the God you are trusting has not.
And so we wait. Not passively, not bitterly, but quietly and expectantly. The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. His love is faithful. His mercies never cease. And He is always there to meet us when we turn our hearts toward Him. Every morning. Without fail.
Reflection:
- How have you personally experienced God’s mercy in a season when you felt undeserving?
- What would it look like to begin each day with a renewed awareness of God’s faithfulness?
- In what ways is God inviting you to wait quietly and trust Him more fully right now?
Prayer:
Thank God for His unfailing love and the mercy that greets you every morning. Ask Him to help you place your full hope and trust in Him today. Invite the Spirit to deepen your dependence on God’s goodness and faithfulness, even when life feels uncertain.
Footnote:
¹ Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2000).