Daily Mercies

Today, as I sit down to write, there is a lovely cool breeze stealing in through the open window, perfumed with the scent of a fruitful garden on a warm day. The room is flooded with natural light and whichever window I look out of, I see trees. Looking around me, I see many things to be thankful for: my air conditioner, the chair in which I sit to write, (an heirloom from a grandmother), four bookshelves stuffed with books, a laptop, a tablet and a multitude of journals in which to write, my favorite fountain pen nearby, and nick-knacks everywhere that remind me of things God has taught me and people I love. I can hear the muffled voices of my family in other parts of the house, and the street is quiet, with birds singing and only an occasional car passing. This morning, I am struck by just how much there is to be thankful for.

I am reminded of a Scripture passage that has been very dear to me over the years:

“This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21-23)

God’s mercy is not limited to salvation. He has shown Himself merciful on the grand scale of redemption, but He also shows Himself merciful every day. These “daily mercies”, as I like to call them, are all around us, even when we are too self-absorbed or distracted to notice them.They should be a constant reminder of His mercy and care for us.

But don’t get me wrong: the grander demonstrations of God’s mercy are enough for our hearts to live on for eternity, but to those great mercies, He has added innumerable others, little touches of His mercy sprinkled here and there throughout our every day. As Charles Spurgeon once wrote:

“God is so good that every moment of His love demands a lifetime of praise.”*

When I think of all that God has done for me, I cannot help but feel as Jacob did when he told God, “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant”(Genesis 32:10)

*Spurgeon, Charles. The Practice of Praise p.43-44