Unvanquished Grace

“I remember my affliction and my wandering,
 the bitterness and the gall.  I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.  Yet this I call to mind
 and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:19-23 NIV)

I should have known, writing as I did yesterday, that I needed to be prepared for a day of challenges.  I told my wife what I wrote was as much for me as anyone (as it often is).  For the past couple of weeks, the stress points have been accumulating in my life and my irritability levels have been on the rise.  That’s usually how my stress reveals itself—small things getting under my skin.  Always has, which really irritates me that it is still such a struggle.  

I knew it was going to be a busy day, but it was also my birthday, so I was looking forward to a good day.  But within a couple hours of waking up, the day’s plans were already off the rails.  Our car needed immediate repairs and both my wife and I had planned on using our vehicles during the day.  Now those plans had to change and I was frustrated.  And I took it out on my wife.  I yelled at her.

Later I asked for her forgiveness, but a cloud of disappointment hung over me the rest of the day.  Much like Peter who confidently proclaimed his willingness to die for Jesus and hours later denied he even knew Him, I heard the rooster crow as I thought about the devotion I had written only hours earlier.  

We can have such good intentions and know what we need to do, but that damnable flesh has a way of humbling us, even if we have been humbled similarly time and time again.  And this is what the enemy wants to hammer us with: “How can you say you follow Jesus and continue to do this over and over? You’re a hypocrite!”  I am sure Peter heard something like this after his denial and that’s how I felt yesterday.

Yet, the amazing thing about God is His abundant grace and mercy towards us.  There is always an opportunity for a fresh start, as Jesus demonstrated with Peter (John 21:15-19).  His mercies are new every morning!  These wonderful words of Jeremiah were in my mind as I awoke this morning.  And how encouraging and freeing they were! Yesterday is past and my sin is forgiven.  Today starts afresh and I have a clean slate.  The battle with my flesh will continue, but it is not weighed down by previous losses.  God’s grace cannot be vanquished; it is restored with each new day.

Today, if like me, you have been bruised and battered by the struggle with your flesh, know that your day is starting afresh.  The sins of yesterday, if you confessed them, have remained there, and God’s grace is fully available to you as you begin a new day.  

© Jim Musser 2014