Listen

Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The Lord is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him.

Lamentations 3:22-24

Think

There is an old hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” based on this passage from Lamentations. The chorus has a beautiful line: “Morning by morning, new mercies I see.”

The hymn writer, Thomas Chisholm, wrote this hymn in 1923 while reflecting on God’s presence not just in the hard times or mountain top times, but every single day. Gratitude is one practice we have as Christians that grounds us in hope.

One of my friends took on a daily gratitude practice for a year. Every single day she posted something she was grateful for on Facebook, from the mundane to the profound. That year turned out to be a tough one for her filled with change and challenge. The gratitude practice grounded her in goodness and hope. Even in the most challenging time in life there is something to be grateful for – from running water to a supportive friend.

What are you grateful for today? What new mercy do you see? How can you share your gratitude with others?

Susan Sytsma Bratt

Pray

Dear God, I trust that you are with me, even when I don’t always feel it. Open my eyes today to see the grace and love that is in front of me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Go

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.