Good morning everyone! I had a thought or two just before I rolled out of bed this AM about the cycles of life. I realize that these cycles are a gift from the grace of God. I base this on a well known Scripture from Lamentations 3 which reads:
(Message) But there is one thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They are created new every morning. How great is your faithfulness!
Every morning God has created a brand new (fresh) cycle of his mercy and love. And he does it our of his personal faithfulness to each of us.
Have you stopped to think about the cycles in your life. The main cycle for me is Monday through Sunday. Everything in my week moves toward or in someway prepares for Sunday. Sunday is the focus of the week. Monday it starts all over and it has been that way for 37 years of ministry.
It is interesting how that has played out. Sometimes all the work seems to pay off and Sunday is a great service with rewarding moments. It is tempting then (I’ve done it often) to try to carry that into the next cycle and measure the next Sunday by the past. Of course, God never intended that. Other times the work seems not to pay off and Sunday seems flat or less than expected. The cycle provides the opportunity to leave that behind and start fresh focusing not on the Sunday past but on the Sunday coming. I wish it was always as easy as that because sometimes its a day or two before I choose to let go the the previous Sunday and whatever emotion it brings.
Having shared my key life cycle, maybe you realize yours. Do you see the faithfulness of God in it and the opportunity it provides to let go and move on?
In Genesis God created human beings and put them on a cycle. Six days of work and the seventh day was to be a day of rest from work and a day set aside as holy for God. God knew it was critical to have one day of every seven that you did no work.
My cycle of each week focused on Sunday flows into the cycle of a new month and then into a new year. Always the challenge is to leave the past behind and accept the new that is before me. The truth I hope we all see on this Friday is that these cycles are part of God’s loving design. He cares about you and offers you newness everyday and it is all backed up by a fresh cycle of his love and mercy.
Now go have a great day! - PD
November 9th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
The idea of a cycle is interesting to think about because as I sat I realized that for me as a teacher I have a daily cycle. Some days are so bad that I just want to give up. But after a renewing evening the next day brings new thoughts and new opportunities. I definitely see the weekly cycle and flow on that as well, but I feel that if I didn’t have my daily one as well I would be lost.
November 10th, 2007 at 7:59 am
Each new day for me is a gift/an opportunity to know God, love Him, trust Him and serve Him more and more. I’m not always successful in all these areas but remain grateful for the times He enables me to be. It’s an onward process that mercifully begins anew every 24 hours!