1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is New Mercies. 3 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from 4 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: our sponsors. New Mercies for a New Year, written and 5 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: read by Sarah Fraser. I reach up for my coffee 6 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: cup in the cabinet, silently, while my house is still quiet, 7 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: I pour the steaming liquid. The morning hours are sacred, peaceful, 8 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: and go buy too fast. My children and all five 9 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: of them will wake up early. The rooms will be 10 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: filled with voices, doors opening, and then noises of food 11 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: being fixed in the kitchen. Although they are older now 12 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: and can make their own breakfast, I walk in with 13 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: my empty coffee cup. I'm ready to help them pack 14 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: their lunches and pour the orange juice. The morning hours 15 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: will once again be quiet after getting them off to school. 16 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: But facing my day means I face the truth that ordinary, 17 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: mundane days are often harder than the busy ones. How 18 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:37,479 Speaker 1: do I spend my day? What is truly important? If 19 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: I made a list, it would be a mile long. 20 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: New days bring new to do lists, jobs, careers, family 21 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: and ministry weave together as the years go by. But 22 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: how do we decide what to do with our days? 23 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: Each day is a gift from God, and we don't 24 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: want to waste our time. So how do we live better? 25 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: As the new year approaches? You and I want to 26 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: make our lives better. We want our health to be better, 27 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: our relationships to be better, and we want our faith 28 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: to be better. Although new year's resolutions are great, maybe 29 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: even beneficial, what we cannot resolve to do better is 30 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: our relationship with God. Our connection to God is something 31 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: to grow, not a goal to reach. I admit many 32 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: times over the years, I've spent time writing out my 33 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: goals and aspirations for my life in December and January, 34 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: including spiritual things. I would write down things like praying more, 35 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: reading my Bible more, and doing more for God. Although 36 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: we can make tangible goals like that, God is not 37 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: asking us to reach a certain point, but to continue 38 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: on in the journey with Him. What if instead of 39 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: looking for more, we looked for new in the new year, 40 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: maybe we can find hope, mercy, and peace not in 41 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: our goals or resolutions, but in the daily mercies. God 42 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: is already giving us. What do we have that is 43 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: something we've forgotten about? God. What if we stopped looking 44 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: for more and look to God for the daily In 45 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: the Book of Lamentations, we see a powerful message of hope. 46 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: The author has spent two and a half chapters lamenting 47 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: the destruction of Jerusalem. Sorrow, death, and fear surrounded the city. 48 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: The author's heart was completely overwhelmed. If you are entering 49 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: this new year with trepidation, fear, or sorrow, listen close 50 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: to the turning point that happens here in the following verses. 51 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. 52 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: Because of the Lord's great love. We are not consumed. 53 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. 54 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: Great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, the Lord 55 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: is my portion. Therefore I will wait for him. The 56 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: Lord is good to those who hope is in him 57 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: to the one who seeks him. It is good to 58 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations three 59 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: twenty one through twenty seven. God's love, compassion, and mercy 60 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:41,239 Speaker 1: are new every morning. Our lives are not built because 61 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: we make New Year's resolutions or meet our goals. In 62 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:51,119 Speaker 1: the daily choices we make, That's what really counts. How 63 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: can we daily look to God for our hope. We 64 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: don't know what will happen in the coming year, but 65 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: we can know for sure God will be on his 66 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: throne Psalm forty seven. Too there is hope Psalm nine eighteen. 67 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: And Christ is with us Matthew twenty eight twenty. As 68 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: we enter the new year, don't forget that God's mercies 69 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: are new today, every year, every morning, and each moment 70 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: we walk through life. God is with us and his 71 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: mercy has no end. This gives us a place to 72 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: start connecting with God right now. Each day there is 73 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: enough mercy for that day. There will always be enough. 74 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: God's mercy and love is faithful to show up every 75 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: day without fail. It never runs out. You won't disappoint 76 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: sin or make mistakes that keep you from God's love 77 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: and compassion. We can't run out of God's love for us. 78 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: Don't get wrapped up in trying to prepare for the 79 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 1: whole year in January. Just trust God that there will 80 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: be enough for each day as it comes. He invites 81 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: us to live this life one day at a time. 82 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: Make one resolution or goal to connect with God daily. 83 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: Psalm sixty eight nineteen says that God daily bears us up. 84 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: Each day, God lifts us, provides for us the hope 85 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 1: and mercy we need. God will never fail us. In 86 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: Romans eight, verses thirty one through thirty nine, Paul tells 87 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: us what can separate us from God's love? Spoiler? Nothing 88 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: can intersecting faith and life. A new year can invite 89 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: us to celebrate God's new mercies, which show up every day. 90 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: The way we access this is through His word. Do 91 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: you have a regular Bible reading habit or study plan? 92 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: If life feels overwhelming, I invite you to begin with 93 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: the Psalms. Check out the podcast Psalms to Help You 94 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: Sleep to jumpstart a daily Bible routine. In each episode, 95 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: you'll hear God's word being read aloud to you and 96 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: a short devotion on that Psalm. You can start experiencing 97 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: God's new mercies in this new year. Additional reading Psalm 98 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: forty one through three, Isaiah forty three, eighteen through nineteen, 99 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: Romans eight twenty eight through thirty nine, First John five 100 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: fourteen through fifteen. The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of 101 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: Life Audio and Salem Media. If you liked what you 102 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: heard today, please take a second to rate and review 103 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: this podcast in your favorite podcast app, so that more 104 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: listeners like you can find the show. For more faith filled, 105 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com.