Have you ever stood at the edge of something new with thoughts swirling with doubt? That moment when you know you need to take a step forward, but the weight of past mistakes tries to hold you back.
I've felt that tension many times. The hesitation that comes from remembering previous attempts that didn't go as planned. The fear that creeps in, wondering if this time will be just like the rest. The voice that questions whether I have what it takes to try again.
Lamentations 3:22-23 offers something comforting for these moments, "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."
These words were written in one of the darkest chapters of Israel's history. Jerusalem had fallen. The temple lay in ruins. Everything familiar had been destroyed. Yet in the middle of devastation, the writer saw something remarkable—God's compassion hadn't ended with yesterday's failures.
Each day carries its own fresh supply of mercy. Not recycled grace or second-hand compassion, but brand new mercy specifically designed for that day's challenges and opportunities.
What would change if we truly believed this? If we understood that God's mercy doesn't have to be stretched to cover yesterday's mistakes and tomorrow's worries—it's abundant enough for each day to have its own full measure.
When I look at the people I admire most, they aren't the ones who never failed. They're the ones who found the courage to begin again after failure. They're the ones who learned to trust that God's mercies would rise with the sun, providing exactly what they needed for that day.
Beginning again isn't about pretending the past didn't happen. It's about believing that the past doesn't have to determine your future. It's about trusting that God's character remains constant even when our circumstances and our efforts don't.
Think about what's holding you back today. Is it a relationship that didn't work out? A goal you didn't reach? A promise you couldn't keep? A habit you haven't broken?
God's message through Lamentations is clear: yesterday's failures don't exhaust today's mercies. There's fresh compassion waiting for you right now—not because what happened doesn't matter, but because you matter more to God than what happened.
The courage to begin again doesn't come from mustering up more willpower or creating better strategies. It comes from looking into the face of the One whose compassions never fail and whose mercies are renewed every single day.
So what would it look like for you to receive today's fresh mercy? To step forward not in your own strength but in the confidence that God's faithfulness doesn't depend on your performance?
Perhaps it starts with simply acknowledging where you need to begin again. With opening your hands to receive what God is already extending toward you—not judgment for yesterday but mercy for today.