by Gwen Williams
Contributing Writer

This year has brought many new developments in my life, my family, my church and even in the nation.

When my family seems to turn away from God instead of running towards Him, I am grateful there is still mercy and tons of grace awaiting their return.

When it seems the church is following a different path, I’m grateful it’s not too late to be guided by His Spirit and fall into obedience.

When I begin to question my calling and wonder why I seem to be waiting so long and no one is on my side, I’m grateful God shows me grace.

In the midst of all these situations I have recalled a verse I love and have been learning to cling to it:

 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)

What is mercy? Kindness and Gentleness.
What is compassion? Helpful and Concern.
What is new? Recently born and created.

How can I not be grateful when I see this expressed as God’s newly created, gentle concern? Or His helpful kindness born every day? That’s His promise to us.

With this promise in mind and impressed upon our heart, we know that we never have to sit by or go around the same mountain day after day, year after year; we are more than able to enter into His rest and receive His promises.

What that means for us is…

Great is His comfort
His joy
His provision
His mercies
His compassion

He has enough to go around for all of us.

I’m so grateful that He sees our heart and further into our future, and knows what He has in store for us. It’s good. That’s why we do not have to fear what is ahead because He has gone before us and is already there.

There may be times when we have doubt, or times when we have not been kind to ourselves or others, or times when we wonder about our purpose in our every day. We may experience hardship and see the world experience troubling times, but He is our portion forever and that means He is able beyond the troubling times and beyond our hardships…forever.

 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

When we commit ourselves to God, we are guided by the Spirit and can use His word as the guide for our lives.

The world may fall away, but I’m grateful that He is constant.
The body may fail because of sickness or age, and many times our faith may fail because of it, but He has overcome that too.

Because of our commitment to Him, He has given us new life – on earth and in heaven.

There may be days when we wish we could just crawl under the covers and never peak out, a day when we wish we could just do it all over again another way.

It’s ok. We can.

Because tomorrow is a new day and His mercy awaits us there.

We don’t have to live condemned over the past, He has covered it and we can walk into a new morning with the comfort in knowing that He has wiped the slate clean and remembers it no more.

He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:19 (NKJV)

There is that compassion once again. He will again show mercy.

Always new, always fresh, always constant.

I’m grateful for it all –
the light
the joy
the comfort

I’m grateful for the new discoveries in Jesus.
I’m grateful for every new morning.

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Gwen Williams is a writer, advocate and fan of travel and food.  She loves to inspire women to take steps toward developing a healthy body, soul and spirit. She also works with those who have experienced trauma and feels part of her calling is to help the hurting.

She encourages self-care and empowers women through the word; her inspiration comes from other women who have been prayer warriors and an amazing support system throughout her life’s journey.

Gwen enjoy finding charming cafes, strolling through farmer’s markets, discovering treasures at thrift stores and experiencing retreats that help her become her best self. She is also a newly certified yoga teacher and a contributor to various ministry blogs.

Gwen Williams is a contributing writer at Real Women Ministries

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