New Mercies

<sup>Lamentations 3:22-23

22</sup> Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I am going to quote directly from my favorite bible commentator, Jon Courson. I LOVE what his online devotion has to teach me today.

The Lord ordered our lives in such a way that every day after about sixteen or eighteen hours, we go to bed and basically “die.” To me, His plan is ingenious because I find that after about sixteen hours of living, I’ve pretty much messed it up. I’ve dropped the ball once too often and fumbled one too many times. I need to die and start over in a fresh way. So I think it’s wonderful that God lets us "die" every eighteen hours.

How I love the morning hours. Whether I spend them at church, in my place of prayer at home, or walking the streets of town on a spring or summer morning, I love the morning when it’s quiet, when I can receive a piping hot batch of mercy fresh from the oven of God’s grace.

I honestly do not love mornings at this point. By nature and probably by nurture I love nighttime. The boys are all tucked in bed and it's prime time for me and Brett to hang out. And then the perfect time for me to get caught up on all that doesn't seem to fit into the daytime hours. Being a mom of 3 busy boys, caring for a home, trying my best to serve my wonderful husband and starting a little side business is simply a lot. There are certain things I know I could let go a bit on. One being the attempt to keep a perfectly clean house. I heard somewhere that trying to keep a clean home when your children are little is like trying to shovel the snow off your driveway in the middle of a snow storm. So true and somehow I keep shoveling away.

Here are some great scriptures confirming the Lord's call for His people to seek Him early each day:

Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Luke 21:38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

John 8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

Psalms 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Psalms 59:16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Psalms 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Psalms 88:13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Proverbs 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

I am so thankful that that we get do-overs every day! Truly if you want things to change in your home and in your life, carving out the time to get yourself out of bed to spend one on one time with the Lord of the universe is key. I love what Oswald Chambers has to say:

The morning is a critically important time of day. You must never face the day until you have faced God, nor look into the face of others until you have looked into His. You cannot expect to be victorious, if you begin your day in your own strength alone.
Begin the work of every day after having been influenced by a few reflective, quiet moments between your heart and God.
Do not meet with others, even the members of your own family, until you have first met with the great Guest and honored Companion of your life - Jesus Christ.
Meet with Him alone and regularly, having His Book of counsel open before you. Then face the ordinary, and the unique, responsibilities of each day with the renewed influence and control of His character over all your actions.
Those who have accomplished the most for God in this world are those who have been found on their knees early in the morning