Virtual Ocean Sunrise: Fresh Mercies Every Day

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

a half hour before sunrise

First posted August 2018

I'm at my "Happy Place," the Jersey Shore.

I am never disappointed at the beach.  I see and hear and feel and smell and even taste God here in a unique way. The vastness of the ocean and the littleness of me on the shore help to correct my perspective about God and my life. And the sunrise over the ocean speaks with new messages every day.

These mornings here at sunrise in Belmar, I have been arrested by an awesome observation. Not that I've never realized this before, but now perhaps "as if for the first time" -- In the moments leading into the actual breaking forth of the fiery sun-ball, there are constant changes in color, lighting, shapes, atmosphere, ...  No two moments are the same, just as no two sunrises are the same.

Moments before sunrise #1

Moments before sunrise #2

Sunrise, August 25, 2018

Sunrise

And here is my aha

Though my loving, merciful God never changes (like the ocean that is always there and the sun that always rises), His mercies do (as the changing manifestations of each unique sunrise day by day).

The Scripture says, 

His mercies are new every morning ... [NASB]  

His mercies begin afresh each morning ... [NLT]

Sunrise

So what does that mean? To me it means two things:

  • God is unchangingly loving and merciful to me because that is who He is

  • But His mercies (His watch-care, His provision, His power, His presence, His intervention) do change. They are uniquely fitted for me and my specific need for my day.

What is it that you need today, my friend? What does this day hold for you?

Remember that your merciful, loving, unchanging God is there for you with His unique provision for your day. He Himself is really All you need. He will meet you with fresh mercies for whatever you may face in your today. Trust Him.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!” 
Lamentations 3:24 NLT