Morning Mercy, Steadfast Love
Morning light cutting through the fog, a simple picture of lovingkindness meeting the day.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace, Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
David keeps pointing us to a word that carries the weight of grace in the Old Testament, lovingkindness. It is God’s loyal mercy and daily goodness poured out on those who belong to Him. Bob Hoekstra highlights how David does not lean on resolve or mood. He leans on the Lord’s lovingkindness, asking God to continue it, counting it better than life, and seeking to hear it in the morning.
Lovingkindness is more than God sparing us from judgment. It is His active goodness meeting real needs, shaping real days. David trusted that the Lord would keep showing this steadfast love, not as a rare surprise, but as a daily provision. That is why he could say that this lovingkindness is better than life. The natural gifts of life are common grace, sun and rain for all. Covenant kindness is personal and faithful, a Father’s care for His own.
This is why the morning matters. David asks to hear lovingkindness at the start of the day. He is not trying to work up confidence. He is listening for God’s pledge of faithful love, then walking from that place. It is the posture of trust, not the posture of strain.
We are invited into the same rhythm in Jesus. New mercies rise with the day. We do not have to create them. We receive them. Then our words and choices become an organic way for His kindness to move through us to others.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I surround you with lovingkindness. My mercy holds back the judgment you deserved. My goodness supplies what you truly need. I call you to trust Me and to listen for My kindness in the morning. I am your refuge. I am the strength of your life. My faithful love is better than life, so let your lips praise Me.
I set My steadfast love upon those who know Me by faith. I redeem, I cleanse, I pour out renewal, and I keep you by My grace. I am rich in mercy. I loved you when you were far off. I gave My Son for you. In Him you have received grace upon grace. I crown your days with lovingkindness and compassion. Goodness and mercy pursue you all the days of your life.
So set your mind on things above where the risen Jesus is. Trust Me when the day begins. Present yourself to Me. Walk by the Spirit. I will cause you to hear My lovingkindness in the morning, and I will direct your steps as you abide.
Scripture references. Psalm 17:7; Psalm 36:10; Psalm 63:3; Psalm 143:8; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 62:8; Matthew 5:45; Psalm 40:10; Exodus 34:6; Lamentations 3:22 to 23; Titus 3:4 to 6; Ephesians 2:4 to 5; Romans 5:8; John 1:16 to 17; Psalm 103:8 to 13; Psalm 23:6; Psalm 138:8; Romans 8:32; Romans 8:38 to 39; Romans 2:4; Colossians 3:1 to 4; Romans 12:1 to 2; Galatians 5:16.
Real-Life Analogy
On a cool morning the car windshield fogs from the inside. One press of the defog button sends warm air across the glass, and the haze clears without scraping or rubbing. Trust works like that. The indwelling Holy Spirit moves when I turn toward the Lord’s lovingkindness at the start of the day. Vision clears, not by frantic effort, but by His faithful action within.
Try this. Before you answer a tense email or step into a difficult meeting, pause and look to the Lord’s covenant kindness. Say, Lord, I trust You to express Your kindness through my words right now. Then answer with a steady tone, clear truth, and patient timing, fully expecting Jesus to show His life through you.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for lovingkindness that does not run out. Thank You that in Jesus I stand in grace, with mercy new this morning. I receive this day as a gift from Your hand. I present my heart, my words, and my work to You. Your goodness is better than life, and Your Spirit lives in me. Lord, I trust You to live Your life in me and through me in this moment.