A Fresh Opportunity
Today’s passage: Lamentations 3:22–27
Focus verse: His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22–23)
The five-chapter book of Lamentations is a series of five laments often attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. A lament expresses grief, mourning, or deep regret.
As such, we expect the book of Lamentations to be a series of negative refrains that express unquenchable sorrow. In short, we expect it to be a downer. It’s no wonder many people skip reading Lamentations.
Yet these passages are not void of hope. We can also find encouragement from within. In his third lament, the writer states that God’s compassion toward us is endless.
Because of his faithfulness, each day emerges as a new one—a fresh opportunity. This passage reminds us of God’s steadfast love, immense mercy, and endless grace, which he renews to us each morning.
As we move forward to embrace our new beginning or fresh start through Jesus, we need to be realistic and know that not every day will move us steadily toward the outcome we seek.
Though we could focus on one bad day and let it breed a series of bad days to follow, we’re better off to push aside what was (see Day 2: Forget the Past). That way we can better embrace God’s blessings that the new day offers us.
When discouragement befalls us on our march to take hold of the future we seek, may we find encouragement in God’s love for us. He loves us so much—endlessly so.
Our troubles will never consume us; he won’t let them. Instead, he will provide, and we will move forward. Through God, we can progress from one bad day that didn’t go as expected to start afresh in the morning with great expectation.
God’s provision to us will help us move forward.
Questions:
How do we react when our day didn’t go as we wanted?
Do we lament what was or celebrate what will be? Jesus offers us grace and mercy, but do we offer it to ourselves?
What should we do to better embrace God’s endless compassion and love?
Prayer: Jesus, we thank you for loving us and dying in our stead to reconcile us with Papa. You offer us grace and mercy. May we likewise extend grace and mercy to ourselves on those days that fall short of expectation. Give us the strength to embrace each day as a gift from you. May it be so.
[This devotional is taken from the January 7 reading in New Year with Jesus.]
For anyone whose New Year’s resolutions have ever failed, New Year with Jesus offers a more powerful alternative: a 31-day devotional journey to anchor your goals and fresh starts in the unchanging hope of Christ.
Through daily scripture, practical reflections, and guided prayer, you will learn to release past regrets, overcome anxiety about the future, and find the spiritual strength to make this year one of lasting, meaningful change.
New Year with Jesus is part of the beloved Holiday Celebration Devotionals Series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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