Have you ever watched the movie Fifty First Dates with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler? The storyline is touching. Adam Sandler’s character falls in love with Drew Barrymore’s character. But there’s one problem, the girl can’t remember yesterday. So every morning, the boy must begin afresh by winning her affection all over again. He shows her movies from yesterday. He reminds her every day that he loves her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Every morning, he wakes up realizing that yesterday is gone but today is a fresh new start.
Jeremiah (who has been called the weeping prophet) wrote Lamentations. He wrote it from a grieved heart after the invasion by the Babylonians and the exile of many of the Jewish people. The people left in the city were dying, starving, and completely shattered. They had witnessed unthinkable things. The weight of seeing all this brought Jeremiah to his knees in grief as he cried out to God. Somewhere along the way, though, he was reminded that today is a new day. A new day to walk in God’s mercies. A new day to experience hope. A new day to be refreshed. He could put yesterday behind him and begin this day new.
Each morning, you and I are given a beautiful gift. The gift of a new day. I’m not sure what you dealt with yesterday but you can put it behind you. The doubts, the hurt and pain, the mistakes, the difficult people you had to deal with, the bad memories, the loneliness, the failures, the disruptions… all these things can become a thing of the past. Not that we won’t forget them entirely, but by keeping them in yesterday, they no longer have control over us today.
Now the question becomes… how do we do this? How can today be new, refreshing? How can today be better than yesterday? It begins with a choice. We must choose refreshment, joy, peace, contentment, and abundance. To do this, we must do more, go the extra mile, make positive changes. Take more breaks to be with the Lord, read the Bible further than yesterday, rest in His presence longer than yesterday, meditate deeper, seek God with more intent, open your eyes wider, listen more attentively. Let today not just be different but let it be better than yesterday. And remember that God is ALWAYS faithful to bring new mercies to you each day. Let these words encourage you.