Morning by Morning

As the warm sun enfolds Iowa again today I am overwhelmed by God's faithfulness in my life. He alone knows all of my struggles and my sins. He sees my temptations and watches me fail to avoid them. Again and again I make the same mistakes and ask for His forgiveness. Still He is there for me through it all.

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore have hope:  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. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him," (Lamentations 3:21-24 NIV). 

I have my parents' copy of an old church hymnal. For many years, together they would choose songs for worship. Mother played the piano and Daddy led the singing. In this hymnal they would make tic marks to show when they used it. "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" has 12 marks beside it, showing how frequently the song was used. It was definitely a favorite.

"Great Is Thy Faithfulness, O God my father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changes not, Thy compassions they fail.not; As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.  Great is Thy Faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"  Written by Thomas Chisholm in 1923.

I imagine many of you are singing this verse, then continuing through two more verses. How glad God will be to hear us worship and pray.

Heavenly Father, Creator of our mornings, we thank You for all of Your faithfulness to us. In the middle of our daily messy lives we struggle to put one foot in front of another. But if we turn to You, God, we know we will find the same God with the same love and faithfulness we have experienced in the past. Lord remain with us, even as we sin, because Lord, we know we can come to You always, on our knees. In the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.