Lamentations 3:22-23: God’s Mercy Is New Every Morning

Christians have bullseyes on their backs, and just about everyone I know right now is getting pounded by the Enemy. Sometimes it isn’t just one thing, but the multiple hits in a row that whip us up into the exact frenzy the devil loves to create. We find ourselves falling, scraping our spiritual knees. We get back on our feet, and then down we go again. I had just one of those dark-night days recently. And then I remembered Lamentations 3:22-33. God’s mercies are new every morning. We just have to make it until then.

A One-Two Punch

I’m a teacher, and this year, my district decided that teachers needed to report back to school earlier than we ever have. I had a restful summer, but for some reason, going back in July really bothered me. The first day of in-service was fine because it was just two general meetings on two sides of town that eased us back in. But the second day, things started to escalate. My content-related meetings were back-to-back, using every minute of the time. The presenters were so perky and intense. Plus, when I scanned the QR code to see where the final meeting of the day was going to be, I was horrified to find that it would be in my classroom. Yes, the same classroom that was nowhere close to being ready for “company” because we had been in meetings since we got back to campus. How inconsiderate could the administration be?

To top it off, my contact was bothering me. I didn’t have any contact solution to wash it with, so I just kept blinking and hoping that it would work itself out. It didn’t. The meeting in my room turned out to be just my usual team (and it was a blessing that it was in my room). By the time I was driving home, I was all but one-eyed and ashamed of my bad attitude and fussing all day. It was time to repent. I asked the Lord to forgive me and help me never to do it again.

When I finally got home and took my contacts out, I was prepared for the feeling of relief. Except there was no relief. The pain in my eye was still there even though my contacts were out. I had very little time before church and a possible REAL problem with my eye. Despite all the rinsing, the pain was getting even more intense. What if there was something stuck in my eye? What should I do?

Two “Voices”

“Just lie down and close your eyes. Relax. It’s going to be just fine.” The first voice was soothing and encouraging. I lay down in the bed and tried to calm down.

“GET UP! You have church tonight. You either need to go to church or urgent care. One or the other. You do not have time to mess around. What if something is really wrong with your eye?”

Then the quiet voice again. “Listen, obey, and trust. It’s going to be ok—”

“Get UPPPP! You have to gooooo!” and just like that, I was carried away by the stress. I don’t even remember eating the dinner my husband set in front of me. I just poked it down with one hand while finding the urgent care website and getting into the queue with the other.

A little over an hour and $50 later, I was on my way home with a prescription for antibiotic drops and a diagnosis of a corneal abrasion. I was also realizing that the Enemy had gotten me…AGAIN. Twice in one day, I had allowed the devil’s negativity and stress to influence my behavior. I should have listened to the Still Small Voice of the Lord. He could have healed me in less than the time it took to even get to the quick clinic. Now the rest of the night would be spent with eye drops, warm compresses, and plenty of time to pray.

I Needed a Reset

By the end of the night, I had cried a lot of tears. Thankful for 1 John 1:9, I repented and praised God for His faithfulness to forgive and cleanse. Then I remembered Philippians 3:13-14. Yes, I had made some poor choices, but even the Apostle Paul didn’t claim to have it all together all the time. He just vowed to leave the past in the past and keep moving forward for Christ. I could certainly do the same. Finally, my mind settled on the scripture that would give me the greatest amount of peace and hope.

“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

The end of the day wasn’t the end of my story. Tomorrow would be a fresh opportunity to live by faith, submit to God, and resist the devil.

While I slept, God was spritzing the whiteboard of my life, carefully erasing all the ugly writing from the day before. I would start the new day clean and white, justified (just as if I’d never sinned). Share on X

We Just Have to Make It Until Morning

Until the Lord returns and we are made like Him, there will be days when the Enemy will win some battles. When that happens, we can be thankful again for our great, compassionate, and loving God. He remembers that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14) and will forgive us when we ask Him. No matter how dark our days, He promises that the night won’t last forever. Each sunrise is another reminder that God is faithful, and His compassions are new every day. We just have to make it until morning.

If you want to hear more about God’s mercy, try Hope for Lost Loved Ones: God’s Mercy in Trials. Or, try Life With Jesus Is a Trust Fall. Please sign up to receive my blog in your email inbox. You can find that at the upper right of your screen (or at the bottom on a phone). Also, check out my YouTube Channel where I read the blogs out loud and have a playlist of hymns.