Brand New Mercies

Republished from Crimson Bridge’s new blog.  

photoBillye and I recorded an album a few years ago that we titled “Brand New Mercies”. On it is a song¹ that says “Thank You Lord for brand new mercies and grace that meet me every single morning when I wake”. These words from Lamentations didn’t resonate with me until recently when we were preparing to speak for a retreat of the same name. As I read the prophet Jeremiah’s words, I wondered how I’d missed this message all these years.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT

 

I was about to get up in front of a group of people to teach about something I suddenly realized I didn’t understand. I’d been in a long term funk, hunkered down in fear and worry, doubting everything I am and do.  The idea of something being new had become foreign to me.  I had been walking with Christ for nearly 15 years, but for months, I’d been a dead woman walking. I needed a new perspective.

And there it was. “His mercies begin afresh…” 

But what does it mean?

His “brand new mercies” give us a chance to live out our story differently as we start yet again, making choices that are in alignment with Him.  But even when we do, that’s not even why He loves us.  No, He loves us because of Jesus. We can stand in front of this pure and holy God, fully loved and accepted because of what Jesus did when He saved us.  His brand new mercies mean that no matter what we might have done to mess with Him in the past, He looks at us with fresh love and new compassion today

BNM Cover

So maybe we can start… by stopping.

Stop trying to make God be a part of our story. Instead, maybe we can begin taking the opposite approach and join Him in HIS story. And while we’re there, get a brand new perspective of what it’s like to live in the hope that His love brings. Brand new. Every day.

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Crimson Bridge has a new blog!

¹Amen, by Tommy Walker. Available on Crimson Bridge’s CD “Brand New Mercies”.