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The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23Lamentations 3:22-23
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
22 The Lord's kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. o destroyed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse ²². ²³ The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning.

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I remember a couple of mornings, years ago when they were younger, when our children tried to surprise my spouse and I with breakfast in bed. They rose early and “stealthily” made their way to the kitchen to begin making cereal and toast, or if they were particularly ambitious, scrambled eggs. Their cover was blown shortly after they started clanging pots and pans together or their excitement exceeded their ability to keep their voices hushed, but we didn’t let on that we knew what they were up to. Their giddy laughter could be heard throughout the house, and the occasional, “Uh-oh” might have been thrown in there too. By the time the food was delivered, my spouse and I had already enjoyed the breakfast though we hadn’t taken the first bite yet.

As we were sipping our juice and relishing the added texture of some shell fragments that got scrambled with the eggs, we noticed the sparkle in our children’s eyes and their anticipation of our approval. After we lavished them with gratitude and praise, they would say, “We’re glad you like it, and we’re sorry for what you’ll find in the kitchen when you go down there.”

When we’d carry our plates and bowls and glasses to the kitchen, often we’d find a mess waiting on us to be cleaned up. Spilled milk would be on the counter, dirty pans and spattered eggs would be on the stove and the floor, cereal boxes would need closing and returned to the cupboard, juice containers would need to be returned to the refrigerator, along with butter and jelly. And yes, sometimes, the mess would get on us as we sponged and paper-toweled, and mopped. But, we love our children, and our love for them and appreciation for them far out-weighs the cost of cleaning up after them and sometimes even getting their mess on us. When I think back on those mornings, it isn’t the mess I remember most vividly, but the value of the relationship I have with my children.

Each and every sunrise we’re granted in our lives is a fresh demonstration of God’s love for us. As the verses at the top of the page remind us, God’s love for us is endless and His mercies are new every morning! Does that mean that God doesn’t see the mess we often make of our lives or the trail of garbage and sin we leave in our wake trying to do things our way? No, it simply means that despite the mess, God loves us and was even willing to get messy Himself in the clean-up effort by sending His Son Jesus to the cross on our behalf. The debris from our mistakes and poor choices got on Jesus’ hands when He died for us, but that was a price that God was willing to pay because He loves us so much.

In the difficult times of life, when we’re feeling lonely or depressed or inadequate or ashamed, it is so easy to give into the delusion that we are unloved or unloveable. When we don’t feel capable of loving, let alone being loved in return, it is easy to wallow in our misery and start forgetting just how much has been done to bring mercy to our lives. It is in those times, as well as the good times, that we need to remember God. We need to remember the lengths that He went to in order for us to be able to spend eternity with Him in heaven. (Titus 2:14Titus 2:14
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
14 a ; b ; . He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right.

WP-Bible plugin) We need to hold onto the truth of who we know God to be-our Savior, our Counselor, our Protector, our Shepherd, our Comforter, our Healer, our Tear-Wiper, our Light, our Friend, our Confidante, our Mercy-Giver, our Life! God loves you more than you can possibly imagine, and He doesn’t ever want you to forget it.

No matter what you’ve done, no matter what garbage may lie in your past or present, God’s mercy can clean it, forgive it, and make you new! Why not let God’s mercy wash over you right now? Why don’t you ask Him to cleanse you and help you understand right now just a little bit more of how much He loves you?

Satan knows how much God loves His children and he is constantly trying to deceive us and get our eyes off that fact. He wants us to forget about God. He is constantly throwing the mess we make of our lives in our faces in an effort to discourage and deter us. But, when he does that, God would say, “Remember me!” When we’re tempted to forget all that God has already brought us through when a new problem arises, God says, “Remember me!” When we’ve sinned and blown it and fallen again, God says, “Remember me!” Each and everyday, in good times and bad, turn to God and remember Him. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He will never stop loving you, His precious child. His mercies are new for you right now.

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Try to get up early one day soon to watch the sunrise, and as you do, remember God. Remember that the dawn represents God’s fresh mercies for you today and thank Him for that.

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Father, thank You for loving me so consistently and for showing Your endless love and mercy to me despite the mess I so often make of my life. Thank you that Your mercy is bigger than my mess. Please help me not to be so absent minded and forget all that You’ve already accomplished in my life and help me learn to make it a lifestyle of “remembering You.” I love you and I am truly thankful for all You constantly do for me. Amen.