New Mercies Every Morning in 2022
By Greg Lunsford--
Today we are closing out 2021 and tomorrow ushering in 2022! For some of us this may bring a sigh of relief that we made it another year. Others may be anxious, stepping into the new year with skepticism and asking what unknowns we are walking into. And others may be stepping into 2022 with great hope on the horizon.
I find myself a mixed bag of all three. 2021 had some very difficult moments for me, so the end of this year and beginning of a new one does fill me with optimism and a fresh start. After the past two years in our world, I am curious what challenges will present themselves next, but am praying that God equips me for the unknown. And, yes, I am genuinely excited about what God has in store for the story of Greater Portland Bible Church in the new year!
I was recently reminded of Lamentations 3:22-24:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Let’s take a moment to walk through these verses and lean into them this next year.
No matter what we have gone through, are going through, and will go through, these verses ring true! God’s love for you does not waver and it does not stop. Period! Every morning when you wake up there are new mercies for you. Every single morning.
What if we woke up each morning with a willingness to receive those mercies, knowing that God is faithful to us each day. We would walk with joy even in difficulties; our love for God would remain as faithful as his love is for us, and we would be a people that would love everyone that we encounter.
Allow God to be your portion and your sustenance in 2022. This reminds me of the conversation Jesus has with the woman at the well in John 4 when Jesus sits with her and says in verse 14, “…but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” Wow! Jesus is our portion and his offering of water that will quench the eternal thirst is proof that God’s mercies are new every morning.
GPBC, as we step into this new year, let Lamentations 3:22-24 be the verse we remember every morning. Let us go the well where Jesus is sitting at and waiting to commune with us as we drink from the eternal water that will forever give us life and refreshment.