A FRESH START

 Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

               I like to get up early in the morning when the day is fresh and new. Each morning brings new opportunities, new challenges, new chances to get it right. No matter what happened the day before, the new day offers a fresh start. Although we carry with us the consequences of the day before, we have a new chance to deal with issues. Although we carry with us the responsibilities of the day before, we have a chance to address them from a fresh perspective.

               The book of Lamentations is one long struggle with Israel’s failures and the consequences of those failures. But in the midst of lamenting the bad things that have happened, the author leans into the mercy and compassion of God. His message is that a person can never exhaust God’s mercy and compassion. God’s love, mercy, and compassion are new every morning. Everyday God offers us a fresh start.

               The Bible often contrasts our unfaithfulness to God’s faithfulness. Even though we are unfaithful at times, God’s faithfulness to us never wavers. Jesus promised us that he would not abandon us. One of the last things He said to His disciples before He ascended was that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age. He has extended that promise to us as well.

               All of us need a fresh start spiritually from time to time. Our faith can become routine and lose its flavor. We can drift away from Christ and lose our focus. We can stumble into sin and lose our peace. What Jesus offers to us every morning is a fresh start in our journey of faith.

               I have done a little backpacking in the past. By the end of a day of backpacking you get pretty weary. The pack gets heavier as the day goes along. Your feet get sore and your shoulders ache. Finally, you arrive at the campsite for the night. You set up camp, cook your evening meal, and sit around the campfire reflecting on the day’s hike. After a night of rest, you make a fresh start on your journey. Every backpack trip that I have taken has taught me new lessons. Each time I went, I went with a better knowledge of what to do and what not to do. Each trip was a fresh start.

               Our journey through life is much like a backpacking trip. There are hills to climb and valleys to traverse. We are moving toward a destination. And we are carrying a pack on our back. Each day we place into our pack a variety of things; challenges, disappointments, accomplishments, tasks to be accomplished, and hopefully joys experienced. Each night, God gives us the chance to lay down our pack and let Him unpack it for us. Often as we sleep, God sorts out the jumbled confusion in our minds and begins to lead us toward clarity. When we wake in the morning, we often have a fresh perspective and hopefully fresh energy to face the day.

               No matter where our journey takes us or what challenges we face along the way, there is one thing that we can hold onto, God’s faithfulness. We are not making this journey alone. We have been given the Holy Spirit to encourage us, strengthen us, and guide us. Jesus promised us that we don’t have to carry our life backpack alone. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

               When we place our faith in Christ, we become the recipients of His faithfulness. Each day is a fresh start; a new opportunity to learn, to grow, to serve, to love and be loved. Each day we can experience God’s mercy anew. No matter how long our journey on this earth may be, we will never come to the end of God’s grace and mercy.

Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.