New Every Morning

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 Read Lamentations 3:19-26

More toys than floor in the living room. Crayon art on the newly painted wall. Diapers in the bin that will curl your nose hair. Tears (some of them yours). Whining. A plate of spaghetti tossed to the floor to punctuate the sentence, "I want hot dogs!"

And then...nap time. Blessed, peaceful, sanity-saving naptime. What is it about a sleeping child that melts our frustrations and anger into ooey-gooey adoration? Pure love. The child who was on the brink of a thousand time outs is suddenly the cutest thing in the world and brings a different kind of tear to our eyes, along with a softness in our hearts.

When they wake up, the day is fresh and new, and the past fades away so we can begin again.

God is a parent too, and He has been there. Daily He watches us quarrel, disobey, throw tantrums, and leave messes in our wake. However, as the author of Lamentations graciously reminds us, "His mercies are new every morning." 

Like the peaceful sight of a sleeping child, grace and forgiveness wash over us because of the cross of Christ, and we are blessed with God's mercy. All thanks to His unfailing love and faithfulness. When God looks at us each morning, the sins of the past day are gone, and we are blanketed in Christ's righteousness. He sees us with His pure love.

As a parent, I have always been grateful for the sleeping times to renew and refresh. Let us extend our gratitude to our loving Father, who also greets us each morning with a brand new supply of love and mercy.

How does the sight of a sleeping child affect you?

Imagine God as the perfect Father looking down on His children each night. What does He feel? What gentle words does He have for you?

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