His Mercies Are New Every Morning
Thursday, July 30, 2015 at 9:14AM
Michael and Donna Martin

By:  Donna Martin

Life gets hectic, tempers are short, money is scare, illness strikes, feelings get hurt, jobs are lost.  Sometimes we just need a fresh start.  We have to let go of the past and move on just as Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14.  “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Family dynamics change through the years, and these changes cause us to have to change.  For example the discipline techniques that worked with one child may not work with another, but if we keep trying to treat that child like the first child, our energy is wasted.  We have to change our techniques.  Or our child gets married and a daughter or son-in-law comes into our family.  Once again we must make changes and adjustments in our family and traditions.  Maybe there is a career change that demands relocation.  We may have to give up our career goals or even go back to work to help financially.  These are only a few examples of the many changes that occur in life.

All of these changes can cause stress.  We sometimes make mistakes and say things that hurt other members of our family.  We may not realize that we need to change and we make mistakes that hurt or offend others.  Our expectations are not met or we feel that we have to give up more than someone else in our family.  In these times of change we must be willing to offer grace and forgiveness to one another, take a deep breath, step back and try again.  But through it all we must assure one another of our love for each other.  Just as God’s love never gives up on us, so we must never give up on the members of our family.  Just as God’s mercies never fail, we must continue to be merciful to each other.

Lamentations 3:22-24 tells us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  ‘The Lord is my portion’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’”

Thank God for his gift of each new day. He gives us a fresh start - a new morning to get up and try again to become the person He is molding us to be.  Put your hope in Him and extend the same kind of mercy and faithfulness to all the people you encounter each day.

The Martins currently present “Happy Together” Marriage Enrichment Events for churches and organizations.  To schedule an event call Michael at 940-735-1515. They are certified “Prepare/Enrich” Facilitators and are available to work with couples on an individual basis using the “Prepare/Enrich Assessment.”  They publish a weekly “Happy Together” Blog about family and marriage issues.  You can order copies of their new books Dancing With Death and 366 Tidbits We Have Learned in 14,610 Days of Marriage, read, and subscribe to their “Happy Together” Blog by logging onto the Martin’s website at www.happytogethermarriages.com.

Article originally appeared on Happy Together Marriages (http://www.happytogethermarriages.com/).
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