Mercy: Refreshed in God's Love

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21-23)

"His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..." This bears repeating. How often do we wake up in the morning, thanking God for a new day? A new day? That is one of the things which mystifies me. How each day, in His infinite Mercy, God grants the gift of a fresh sunrise, and a chance to start anew. 

Today was one of those days where I got caught up in the circumstances of life, feeling as though I was stuck in a rut...with no way out, and not worthy of getting up again. As I was mulling over the events of the day..thinking, "I should have done this, I could have done that...why did I have to do that?" when God interrupted me. "I forgive you." I stopped short. What was that Lord? "You are my child, I forgive you. I died for you to wash away your sin. I love you. Start again." Whoa. Amidst my utter astonishment at my lack of trust, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace, love, and gratitude for this grace.

I think sometimes we tend to forget how real God's mercy is. Perhaps the message of the Cross becomes desensitized to our hearts, and we take for granted what a gift Jesus has purchased, for us. The mercy of God is never stagnant, old, or incapable of touching our hearts in a new way. As the psalmist says, His mercies, "are new every morning." That should give us great hope and encouragement. The God of all, who loves us infinitely, still calls out to us. He is always ready to forgive, refresh, and help us get back up again; when we turn to Him with all our heart.

*Author's note: God's Mercy is most explicitly displayed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There He waits with open arms to forgive, and bestow graces to strengthen us. If you are Catholic and have been away from the Church, it's a great place to come and be renewed. Pray about it. For more information on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, go here.