Afresh Each Morning

Afresh Each Morning

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Lamentations 3:23

Working outside in the crisp air. Cutting firewood and piling it. Husband and wife work side by side and see the satisfaction of their labor. There’s a smile between them. A thank-you at the end of the day. The woodpile will last yet a while. This is just one of the ways Amish families gather their provisions to carry them through the cold winter months.

Jars filled with the produce from autumn’s harvest line the shelves of the pantry—not as many jars as before, but enough, the husband and wife hope, to last until fresh fruit and vegetables are again in season. The barns have caches of grain to feed the livestock through the winter, and pens are filled with clean straw to keep the floors tidy. Yet even as the Amish family depends on their stored resources through winter, their souls need daily maintenance, daily gathering in the Word, and renewal through daily prayer.

We read in Isaiah 33:2, “LORD, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble.” To claim God’s mercies, God’s followers don’t rely only on stored-up resources but also on time spent daily with God. Many Amish families have a time of Bible reading and devotions in the morning and a time of prayer together at night.

Do you have a similar practice? You may calculate much in your own life: your shopping list, your budget, your calendar. You may “store up” for a rainy day, but don’t treat your moments with God in the same way. Open yourself to God’s goodness in the morning. Take time to feel His smile at the end of the day.

Dear heavenly Father, sometimes I act as if a good Sunday sermon will carry me all the way through Friday, or as if worship songs from the radio will give me a boost for the day. These things are certainly good starts, but they aren’t enough. Give me the desire to spend more and more time with You each day so that I can recognize and experience Your new mercies to me.