New Mercies

Because of the Lord's great love, 

we are not consumed

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22 & 23

I woke up with this verse on my mind. Jacob woke me up just a few minutes before five and I surprisingly felt very refreshed. Refreshed is not normally how I feel anytime the number four is at the beginning of my clock, but for some reason I felt like a million bucks. 

Jacob left for school, then Erick left shortly after for work. As Caleb and I sat, eating breakfast and listening to some music on my phone, I became overwhelmingly thankful for God's mercies that are new every morning. They are always there, but I don't always acknowledge them. I pulled out my Bible and looked up the scripture and to my surprise it was in Lamentations. I assumed it would have been in Psalms. 

My whole reason for being thankful for this verse is because I fail so often and I'm thankful that his mercies are new every morning. I have the desire for everything I do and say to people be lifting them up and not tearing them down. We have the ability to either tear people down or build people up with our words and we seldom pay attention to the effect that our words have on people.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Proverbs 15:4

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; He who opens wide his lips comes to ruin

Proverbs 13:3

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place

but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Ephesians 5:4

Most of the time my words don't represent any of these previous verses. I have the desire to speak life into my husband and my children, but I fail them often. I have great intentions on building people up but I usually tear them down instead. I have great dreams in ministering to others but I find myself struggling to minister to the ones I live with, which they should always come first. I relate so well to Paul when he writes the following,

I know that nothing good lives in me,

 that is, in my sinful nature. 

For I have the desire

to do what is good, 

but I cannot carry it out.

For what I do is not the good I want to do; 

No, the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing.

Romans 7:18 & 19

I'm not always going to get it right, and I'll fail again today at some point. But I can strive to speak life with my words and when I do fail, I know that his mercies are new every morning!!