Fresh Start

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! 

His mercies never cease. 

Great is his faithfulness; 

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Lam 3:22-23 (NLT)

His mercies are new every morning. All the mistakes and failures of yesterday are gone, blotted out by the light of the rising sun.  I might tend to hold onto my guilt from the previous days behavior (especially when the same pattern of misbehavior seems to crop up every day), but God doesn't remember.  The generosity of God's love is amazing!  God gives me a fresh start every day - a fresh start with nothing hanging over my head.  This gives me the freedom to go forward in hope.

Then, I remember the verse that says we should not let the sun go down on our anger.  As an imitator of God, I cannot hold onto the grudges and hurts of the previous day.  It's hard when I'm faced with the same offending and irritating behavior every day, but it is my responsibility to release those hurts to God before the sun goes down.  If I don't, it will color my response tomorrow, making me stingy and grudging in my attitude towards others.  If, before the sun goes down, I release and forgive whatever has happened that day, I will be free to love again when the sun comes up allowing the mercy and grace of God's generous love to be exhibited through me as I offer to others that fresh start that God has offered to me. 

How can we release each day, before the sun sets, every negative, hurtful, offending or irritating thing that may have happened to us that day?  I find this hard to do. Do you have any practical or helpful suggestions about how we can accomplish this?

I would love to hear your comments.

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” 

Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,

for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Eph 4:26-27 (NLT)

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,

and endures through every circumstance.

1 Cor 13:7 (NLT)

Then Peter came to him and asked, 

“Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?

Seven times?” 
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

Matt 18:21-22 (NLT)