“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (RSV)
We have all experienced scarcity in something during our lives. A scarcity could refer to something other than a financial or material undersupply. There are scarcities of faith, hope, love, peace, health, patience, courage, and the list could go on.
God may meet our scarcity in an unexpected way, during the time of greatest need. If we look at examples throughout scripture, when anyone struggled with a lack of something, their faith was rewarded with an unexpected manifestation of God’s presence.
As a young man, Jacob fled from his brother, Esau, who was out to kill him. It all started when Esau exchanged his birthright to Jacob, for a bowl of lentil stew, in his moment of hunger. Later, Esau regretted that exchange, felt cheated and his anger burned against Jacob, as he pursued him.
Jacob was living like a fugitive, frightened and running from Esau’s wrath. He had neither peace nor security. While in that state of anxiety, Jacob fell asleep and dreamed of a ladder that led all the way up to heaven. God spoke to Jacob in his dream, promising that He would always be with him, and one day make out his descendants, a great nation.
Jacob woke up from that dream, saying, “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it,” and from that time onward, he found new peace and security believing everything will be alright. He eventually reconciled with his brother and lived in peace, though he faced many more trials ahead. Problems still arose but Jacob found new mercies each morning.
God often spoke to people in scripture while they were in dire need. After the day of Pentecost, a poor, crippled beggar called out to Peter, asking him for help in the form of money. Peter, filled with the Spirit, boldly told the beggar, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” (Acts 3:6)
Then taking him by the right hand, the man was healed, jumped to his feet and began to walk. Peter had new courage to exercise his faith since Pentecost, and Jesus became present to that beggar through Peter, declaring him to be healed. God showed new mercies to both Peter and the beggar. The church that Jesus formed with His disciples, had become His body on earth.
When the friends of Mary ran out of wine, early in the evening of a wedding celebration, she knew that God was present at that wedding feast through her son, Jesus. As the hosts of the party surrendered their lack to Him, Jesus turned their jars of water into jars of the finest quality wine. When God shows up, His new mercies are always focused on the quality of His blessings.
The world is full of scarcities, but God desires to keep introducing His son to the world, so that whoever turns to Him will receive new mercies. We never know how God is going to show up for someone, but He will find a way to make Himself present in a time of need, restoring the quality of life through faith.
His new mercies came to Jacob in a dream, giving him a peace beyond understanding. His new mercies came to a poor, crippled, beggar and through Peter, spoke strength and healing to him. Water was turned into wine through a wedding guest that no one knew was the son of God, except Mary, his mother. In every example of some lack or scarcity, God shows up and His mercies are new every morning.
Lord, we surrender all that is lacking in us, and trust you to meet us where we are, and to shower us with new mercies so that we can say as Jacob said, “Truly the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” Amen
