NEW EVERY MORNING

New Every Morning!

1. God loves us with a "tough love."

When God sent the Jews into captivity in Babylon it was because of their sins. God did not destroy them but He retrained them. Cut off from the Temple (which had been destroyed) they had to learn new forms of worship. Lamentations speaks of their despair mixed with confidence. The church always needs to learn the same lessons. Resist the devil! Turn back to God! For it is those whom He loves that He disciplines, And He scourges every son/daughter whom He acknowledges. Hebrews 12:6; Proverbs 3:11-12

a) "tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God." Romans2:9-11

b) "Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits." Lamentations1:3

c) "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" Lamentations 3:22-24

d) "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" Psalms 27:13-14

2. Keep on pressing forward.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:13-14

a) Christian, is there something that you've done in your past that you're not particularly happy about? A choice that you regret? A missed opportunity? A sin? The good news today is that you can be free of guilt and condemnation. You don't have to live with that burden any longer. "When God forgives, He forgets." "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Hebrews 8:12; Jeremiah 31:31-34

b) James says: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:2-5

c) "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1

d) God's mercies are new every morning. He's not ever going to run out of compassion. He's not ever going to run out of forgiveness. He's not ever going to say, "Well, this is the last time I'm going to give you mercy." No, you can have a new beginning every single day!

Let that truth sink down deep into your heart right now. If there is anything from the past that you may still be carrying, take a moment and call on His faithfulness. Call on His mercy. Ask for His forgiveness. Let Him refresh and restore your soul right now. Praise Him and thank Him for the work He is doing in your life and enjoy a fresh new beginning today!

"Heavenly Father, today I choose to let go of every single weight from the past. I call on Your mercy; I call on Your grace. Thank You for hearing me and delivering me and cleansing me. I receive Your love and forgiveness today. In Jesus' Name. Amen."