Mercy With My Name On It
by Karen Hossink
Have you ever been desperate? Ever felt like there was too much for you to do, too much to handle, and no way you were ever going to make it through? Have you ever tried to face the day, but found yourself wanting to run back to your room and hide under the covers until it was time to go back to bed?
I've had some mornings like that recently.
I sat down to breakfast after already experiencing conflict with my son over his need to unload the dishwasher. My daughter asked me to sign papers and fill out forms for school, and reminded me of the ingredients she needed for foods class – which I forgot to buy. The boys were arguing over who had to let the dog out and then one of them spilled the milk.
And as I bowed my head to thank God for my food and ask His blessing on my day, these are the words which flowed from my heart, "God, I'm desperate today. I'm desperate. I know I can't make it without You. I need You!"
When the next day started similarly, I just prayed, "God, I'm desperate again."
The third day I echoed, "I'm desperate once again, God."
And I began to wonder if I should start writing my own episodes of Desperate Housewives.
Some time later as I was lamenting my situation with a friend, she assured me that God can handle my desperate situations. She reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-23, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." My friend smiled and told me, "His mercies are new every morning, Karen. And He's got one with your name on it!"
Mercy with my name on it. Oh, how I love that concept!
And He's got one with your name on it, too.
Do you know what that means?
When you are facing a situation which seems overwhelming to you, when you are desperate, when you are sure you cannot handle it, God has got you covered. God knows your situation and He knows what you need.
Think about it. He is the LORD of the universe, the Creator of the world. He - whose steadfast love never ceases – sees you every day and He knows your tomorrows. God knows how your circumstances are going to unfold. The Creator of the world is orchestrating the events in your life for your good and His glory.
He is even orchestrating the situations which leave you feeling desperate.
Maybe God is using those difficult circumstances to refine your character. He may be using them to discipline you and bring you back in line with His will. Perhaps God wants you to fall into His arms of grace and rest in His strength.
I don't know why you are facing today's challenges, but this I do know: God's mercies never come to an end. He has new mercies every morning. Today God will give you exactly what you need to make it through the day. When you wake up tomorrow He will have another, brand new mercy which will perfectly address the new circumstances you'll face. And it will be the same the next day, and the one after that.
Because God's mercies never end, and his faithfulness is great.
With this understanding, my daily prayer of desperation has changed a bit. Now the words flowing from my heart sound more like this: "God, I'm desperate again. And that new mercy You've got? The one with my name on it? I need that today!"
He's got one for you, too. Grab it!
Copyright © 2009 – Karen Hossink. All rights reserved.
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