His Mercies Are New — But What About My To-Do List?

My faith journey goes way back to when I was a little girl. I still remember almost every verse of so many of the old hymns that we would sing. Those were the days when we still used a hymn book.

One of my favorites is still: “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. There’s a line that continues to describe my life as each new day brings new concerns about this or that, but it also brings new hope and expectancy. The line that resonates within me as sweet assurance comes for this day and tomorrow is: “Morning by morning new mercies I see . . .”

I was thinking about that line yesterday when I stepped on my bathroom scale. Yay! Still the same. Seems I’ve finally conquered the ups and downs of weight gain or loss. I’m pretty even keeled these days. I’ve been intent on healthy living and weight control for a very long time! And, before I sold my home in Frisco, I was intent on home maintenance. It seemed each new day brought more concerns with this or that needing repair. Now, free of those concerns, I’m mostly even-keeled in my daily living. I give credit to where credit is due – in Christ’s mercies and faithfulness.

As great is the faithfulness of God, I still find myself concerned with such silly things. “I must go to the grocery store. I must pay my bills. I must get my blog ready for tomorrow. I must try to figure out why my computer keeps doing that! I must get gas today. I must take Bentley out to do his business (I’m keeping sweet Bentley for a few days while his family is out of town). I must. I must. I must.

I know my little list cannot be compared to you mamas and papas who are overloaded with “To-Do’s. I think we can all relate that our mornings don’t involve a list of God’s mercies as much as they involve a list of our own concerns.

But then, in a sweet moment, that old hymn rolls around in my head and, instead of obsessing over all the “To Do’s”, I start to hum the tune I’ve known since childhood. And it reminds me of the God who has loved me since long before that.

“Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided —
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

That “All I have needed” part is what makes me stop. I come to a complete standstill. Right there in the middle of my kitchen in front of my host of vitamins I NEED to take and I think….. “Do I really believe that? “All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.” Do I live like I really believe that?”

His faithfulness is new every morning in a hundred different ways. In the stormy and sunshiny days and in the hectic and calm days. It’s the one thing that doesn’t change. I desperately want to become an expert at believing that…..don’t you?

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:8-9