New mercies, new mornings

                            A little food for weekend thought--

       Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the morning.
       Thank that Your mercies are new every morning.  (Lam.3:22-23)  Thank You for fresh starts, new opportunities, and clean slates every 24 hours...where we can begin anew to seek You, follow You, obey You, and love You.  Where no matter how yesterday went, You tell us--forget the past!  Press on to the upward prize in God! (Phil.3:14)  Start today...start now!
       Oh how I love the early mornings. Quiet, still, alone with God's Word--fresh from His mouth. "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.  Show me the way I should go."  Thank You, Father, for a fresh reminder each day of Your infinite love and amazing grace...the grace that will enable us on this fresh new day, to go the distance, doing all You've called us to do, for all the hours You choose to give us this day.  Wd don't need to concern ourselves with how we'll make it faithfully through tomorrow--Your manna is for today.  This one, unique "calendared and called" day (as Beth Moore calls it).
       And tomorrow--with all it's special and individual challenges and joys?  Yes, Father, You will be there too--fully able, fully powerful, fully sufficient in every way.  For "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Heb.13:8)  That means no matter what tomorrow brings, we can rise with hope, trust and joy for You are there...and tomorrow Your mercies will be fresh and new all over again. Hallelujah!
         So in case you need a little morning encouragement, here it is, first, from Andrew Murray: "In the morning, with its freshness and quiet, the believer can look out upon the day.  He can consider its duties and its temptations, and pass them through beforehand, as it were, with his Savior."
        And second from Oswald Chambers: "Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything.  Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day.  But if you will swing open the door of your life fully open and pray to your Father who is in the secret place, every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of God."
       Just imagine--you thought it was all over.  The buzzer sounded, the last second shot missed, the game over, and you stand defeated.  Done.  Lost.  Finished.  But wait. What's that?  No, no it's not the end of the game!
       The referee says you get to start over in the morning--the game will be replayed...when you're fresh and after you've learned so much from this first attempt.  Forget the game today...that was just the warm up for the big game in the morning!  A fresh new opportunity to do your best, to trust in Your Savior, and to live to God's glory.
       Thank You, Lord, for mornings and fresh starts.  Might we look to You, live by the power of Your indwelling Holy Spirit, and give it all we've got on this calendared and called day.  To God be the glory.