Joy Comes in the Morning

Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

It doesn’t matter where you are in your life right now, every morning is a new opportunity to change for the better. Every person on the planet throughout time has made mistakes or caused harm to themselves or others. The Bible is full of people who made mistakes and did not live up to their own potential. The Apostle Peter passionately denied even knowing Jesus prior to the Crucifiction, but he later became the head of the early Church and the first Pope. The Apostle Paul, who was born Saul, was a violent persecutor of early Christians, but later became so devoted to the mission of Christ that he changed his name and traveled the ancient world to spread the Gospel. 

Your Past is Over.

Regretting your mistakes or ruminating over missed opportunities cannot change the past, and it will not help your present or future self. You are already forgiven for any sin or mistake you may have made. “When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared–not because of any [good] deeds we had done–but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior.” (Titus 3:4-6)  

You can choose every morning to forgive yourself, and begin again on your journey to a happy, joyful life. God is kind and generously loving. Love and mercy are the very nature of God. You don’t have to be perfect to come to God. You only need to receive and welcome his kindness, love, and mercy into your heart. When you do that, the Holy Spirit will start to take root in your soul and guide you to the joyous new life you are seeking. And so we pray:

Thank you God that you are truly kind, loving and merciful.

Thank you God for showing me the depth and quality of your love through the Incarnation of Love and Kindness in the person of Jesus Christ. 

Thank you Jesus for coming into the world, not to condemn me, but to save me. (John 3:17)

God of the Universe, I am willing to receive your Love into my life.

Holy God, forgive any mistakes or sins I may have committed in the past, 

and help me to forgive myself. 

I am willing to receive the “rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom [you] richly poured out on [me] through Jesus Christ.”

Amen!