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by James Collins

“It is of the Lord‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Since I retired from the Army, I have gained a pound or ten… For the New Year, I have decided to get into shape. Truthfully, my wife, Amanda, decided for me that I was going to get into shape. I said, “Honey, round is a shape.” She didn’t think that was funny. Consequently, I am now on a fat-free, gluten-free, low-carbohydrate, high-protein, sugar-free, low-sodium, macrobiotic consuming, metabolism boosting, organic, all-natural, cholesterol-free, calorie counting, detoxification, colon cleansing, diet. The only thing I can eat is cardboard flavored with essential oils… 

Part of Amanda’s New Year’s resolution was for us to exercise more. I came up with a great exercise regimen. Start with a five-pound potato bag in each hand. Extend your arms straight out from your sides, hold them there for a full minute, and then relax. After a few weeks, move up to ten-pound potato bags. Then try 50-pound potato bags, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-pound potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. Once you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.  

For Christmas, Amanda gave me a pedometer. A pedometer is a fitness tracker I wear on my belt which logs the steps I take each day. It helps to motivate me to get up from my desk and take a walk several times throughout the day. I have a daily goal of ten thousand steps. However, most days, I fall way short. When I come home at night, I unclip the step-tracker from my belt and look at the number. Usually, I am disappointed. I feel I should have tried harder to meet my goal. 

One unique feature of the pedometer is every night it resets. When I clip it on in the morning, the step-counter begins at zero. No matter what my count was the day before – two, two hundred, two thousand, or two hundred thousand – the next day I always have a clean slate. 

       My walk with God is a lot like that. Some days, I walk closely with the Lord. Some days, I align my steps with His steps. Those are the best days. Other days, I follow my own wants and desires. Other days, I barely check to see if I am following God’s path. Those are the worst days. 

The good news is every day with Jesus starts with a clean slate. The Bible tells us God’s mercies are new every morning. Just as sure as the sun comes up every morning, you can be confident God’s mercies never end. They are not based on how good you are, but only on His steadfast character. 

The point is: God sees you as you really are. He can see when you do well, and he can see when you miss the mark. You can find rest in Him today. Cast all your cares upon Him and find true peace. 

His mercies are new every morning. 

James Collins

James Collins is pastor, columnist, and author. You can write to him by email at james@thepointis.net.

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