“The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NASB)
The prophet Jeremiah writes about God’s mercies being new every morning. It means that God’s love and compassion for His people are constant and never-ending, and that He gives them fresh blessings and grace every day. God’s mercies are not based on our performance, but on His goodness and faithfulness.
This is good news because life is FULL of struggle! So full of change! We look around and wonder why the road on which we journey seems to be filled with more unexpected turns, bumps and ditches than those traveling around us. In our ponderings, we question the onslaught of our difficulties and disappointments and like Job, of Old Testament days who was called a friend of God, we ask “Why? Is it because of the sin of my youth?” Perhaps we even question God’s goodness because we have sought to obey and love Him with not only our lips but with our life and still we feel pressed down under the heaviness of hurt.
The path of life was difficult for many heroes of the faith. Moses wandered in the wilderness for 40 years with the grumbling Israelites and was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Joseph was sold off by his brothers, sent to a foreign land and was in prison for over 10 years for crimes he did not commit. Paul, the evangelist whose Spirit-inspired letters comprise much of the New Testament, was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and shipwrecked multiple times. Even our Lord and Savior Jesus never did anything that displeased his Father and yet even His life could be defined as a road of suffering.
Since my youth, although a sinner, my highest priority and purpose has been to learn, live and lead the truth… the only Truth. But my journey is not without scars.
An unburdened path, free from anxiety, physical pain and piercing heartache is at the core of our longing. A highway that’s smooth, straight and hazard free, at least for longer stretches of time, is our hope. But that has not always been my experience. Although my life is defined by incredible joys and even many happinesses, it’s been tempered at times with sadnesses that have caused me to desire heaven before my earthly travels and calling are complete. I’m often road weary.
But I can still celebrate because it’s then, in the struggle, I have not only come to know myself, but have experienced the intimate love of God. And no matter what struggles you may be facing right now, this is my hope for you – that you can know and experience God’s great love for you and that you know that God is merciful and is faithful to walk right beside you.
Terry Ann Kelly
President and Founder of Students Standing Strong
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