Being Ready for the Day

“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 3:22-23 NIV)

Time-Warner Cable has an ad on Pandora saying, “We’ll send you out ready for your day!”  The ad refers to giving you the latest news, weather, and traffic reports.  I have thought about that since hearing it during some of my morning workouts.

What truly prepares us for the day ahead?  Is it knowing what has been happening in the world overnight, what the weather is going to be, or how congested the morning rush hour is?  I suppose this information could be of some help, but I doubt it is enough or the appropriate information to send you out ready to face whatever is ahead.

Part of the problem is this information doesn’t do anything about yesterday.  It doesn’t resolve the conflict we had with a friend.  It doesn’t remove the regret of a poor decision.  And it doesn’t change our present circumstances if they are less than favorable.

The writer of Lamentations was in a bad place.  Before his eyes, his beloved Jerusalem, the Holy City of God, was being destroyed by the sin of its people.  When he woke up each morning, the latest information was not going to change that.  Sleep is a great escape from our troubles, but when we awake in the morning, we are faced with them once again.  

But the lamenting writer found comfort in the timeless news of the Lord’s mercies (or compassions, as the NIV translates it).  They are new every morning!  So no matter what you experience the day before and what awaits you when you wake up, His mercies are right there as well.

In my life, I’ve had quite a few nights where sleep brought escape from my troubles, but reality was waiting for me in the morning.  After my mother passed away when I was in grad school, this passage brought me great hope and comfort.  And it has in times since when I have found life almost too hard to bear.  Instead of being consumed with my troubles, the hope in the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness has kept me going.

This morning, if you are waking up to the troubles that are carrying over from yesterday, know the Lord is providing you what you need to be ready for your day—His mercies, which are new every morning.   

© Jim Musser 2016