“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.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
Spring is a naturally hopeful time of year. The warmer weather, lengthening days, new green shoots and flowers all combine to make us feel a sense of hope. It reminds us that there isn’t only the past. A new season’s growth is beginning. There is a future. And there is reason to believe it will be good. That, to me, is the Spring feeling – even if we don’t usually put it into words.
God has built a natural hopefulness into many aspects of his creation. Children, for example, are naturally hopeful. They view each day with an instinctive positivity and an expectation that it will deliver them something good. All of us have a natural hopefulness, which, in fact, we need in order to keep going. That is why it has been observed that “Hope springs eternal in the human breast” (Alexander Pope).
In these famous words from Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah takes up the natural hopefulness we feel as a new day dawns. Because God is patient and compassionate by nature, his mercy provides new hope each and every morning. He continues sustaining our life, ready to hear our prayers, and ready to welcome home the sinner who repents. This is a hope beyond our natural hopefulness, because it is grounded in the character of God.
To the Christian, this hope should provide a powerful motivation to come before God in prayer each morning, and to expect to see God’s goodness and mercy in response. As the psalmist writes: “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you, and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3).
You can and should bring such requests to God in personal prayer, on your own. But why not also join us for Morning Prayer online, Tuesdays at 8.30 am?
Thank you, Lord, that your mercies are new every morning. Thank you for the hope we have from knowing that your nature is always to have mercy. Help us to trust this promise by bringing our requests to you expectantly each morning. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—
Rev Andrew Schmidt
Rector
stjudesrandwick.org.au
