God’s mercies are fresh every day
(Lam 3:21-26) This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. {22} It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. {23} They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. {24} The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. {25} The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. {26} It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Many people make “New Year’s Resolutions” to make changes in their life – whether it be to lose weight, be more kind, be more productive or whatever they resolve to do. So few ever follow through with these resolutions and the shame of it is that they wait until the next year to proceed any further.
Jeremiah says that the mercies of God are new every morning. We do not have to wait until the next New Year to receive them. This has a type in the manna that God fed the nation of Israel while they wandered in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. Every morning before the sun was hot they would find these small white wafers on the ground, they gathered them and were nourished by it. God was teaching them a spiritual principle – they were to seek the Lord before they did anything else. He wanted them and us to seek Him before we seek anything else in life (or even before we start our day). He should be our main objective and goal. If the Israelites waited until the sun was hot they would not find the manna – “and they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.” They were to gather all they needed for the entire day – they were not to store it up because God would provide it again the next day. He was teaching them to trust Him for their daily needs. Some did not follow the orders and they tried to store it up and it produced worms and had a bad odor.
God wants us to depend upon him for our daily, weekly, monthly and yearly needs for our entire life. Some people get all bent out of shape if they cannot see or perceive their life way into the future. God wants us to prepare for the future by confessing our sin and seeking His salvation, but He wants us to make him the pursuit of our entire life. He wants us to be productive citizens and work and help others but these are only side lights to our main purpose. Solomon wrote of it – “let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Jesus mentioned it in Matthew 6:33 – “but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God says that if you put Him first He will take care of the rest; just as He did for the Israelites in the wilderness.
In the same way, Jeremiah reminds us that God’s mercies are fresh every morning; we do not have to live on yesterday’s mercies or blessings. God has a fresh supply every day. We do not have to wait until the New Year to seek the Lord or make some resolve to improve our condition. We can present it to our wonderful Savior and He will provide out of His fresh supply, not old and stale stuff.