His Mercies are New Every Morning (even when you're tired)
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I remember when Friday meant something. When you are in school, everything seems easier and you know you have a break coming (or maybe it seems easier because you know you have the break coming?). As a mom with little kids, Friday doesn’t feel that different. Life just keeps going.
This week, everyone at my house has been sick. It could be so much worse, we’re just dealing with colds and sleeplessness. I’m tired.
Today, I needed a break so I let the kids watch Netflix and thought I would break out a Bible and some Calvin instead of feeling sorry for myself.
I thought about Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV):
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.”
It’s a good reminder of so much truth for us when we are tired. When we can't even pinpoint when our mornings started because we were up all night.
God’s love never ceases. God’s mercies never come to an end.
When I’m tired, I have a tendency to get frustrated very easily. I don’t love my family well. I don’t give very much mercy.
And I also tend to not hope in God. I simply hope in nap time going well. My desires and thoughts are small.
I love what John Calvin says about verse 24: “We cannot stand firm in adversities, except we be content with God alone and his favour; for soon as we depart from him, and adversity that may happen to use will cause our faith to fail. It is then the only true foundation of patience and hope to trust in God alone; and this is the case when we are persuaded that his favour is sufficient for our perfect safety.”
And then for our application, he continues, “That we may not then fail in adversities, let us bear in mind this truth, that all our thoughts will ever wander and go astray, until we are fully persuaded that God alone is sufficient for us, so that he may become alone our heritage. For all who are not satisfied with God alone, are immediately seized with impatience, whenever famine oppresses them, or sword threatens them, or any other grievous calamity.” (Taken from Calvin's Commentaries—Complete, Book on Lamentations)
As he continues, he references Romans 8:35-39,
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (ESV)
I need this reminder to bear the truth that God alone is sufficient for me even in my tiredness because of God’s love in Jesus for me.
And then in my tiredness and out of that truth, I need to rejoice in the mercy, grace, and love I’ve been given through Jesus and love my kids well to show them those things too.
And I need to do it with patience because I’m not dealing with famine or swords or grievous calamities, I’m just dealing with a little whining and ungratefulness (from me and them). It isn’t easy but sometimes you just need to slow down and re-focus to move forward.
