'New every morning'

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3v22-23).

The context for many in today’s world may not be as devastating as the destruction of Jerusalem that provided the basis for Jeremiah’s Lamentations. Following its desolation and captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar, people in the context experienced significant suffering and deep sorrow as they faced exile and an uncertain future. It was in that situation of despair that the prophet Jeremiah in his lament provided glimpses of hope rooted in God’s mercies, compassion and enduring love.

This message remains relevant for our world today. These are days of devastation, of war and political instability which have left several people internally or externally displaced. It is a time of economic hardship, health hazards and other challenges which makes people uncertain of what the New Year holds for them. Yet, in the midst of his lament, Jeremiah declares that “through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not”. How could he have declared “they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness?” A recent experience reminded me that the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, remains the same unchanging God regardless of the state of the world or our circumstances.

In my part of the world, the last day of each year has special services – variously called “Cross over”, “Leap over”, “Jump over” or “Scale over” – as congregations of Christians in church or some other place of worship observe night vigils to end one year and begin another. The idea of crossing over is to thank God for the previous year and to trust him to deliver His people from past trials and tribulations, as well as to enter the New Year with His blessings. It is a bit like crossing over the Red Sea towards the promised land. The year 2025 was full of lament for several of us, related to loss of dear ones, persecution, economic hardships, political instability, displacement, health and relationship issues, and various other challenges, just to name a few. In view of these, the book of Lamentations does not seem a good book to start a New Year with.

Yet, in the context of one such service that I attended in Abuja, Nigeria on the last day of 2025, the atmosphere was not one of continuous lament. Rather, from the testimony session, several of those present praised God aloud for His faithfulness and keeping grace in 2025. Many sang portions of John Newton’s hymn Amazing Grace aloud: “Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” Some shared about challenges they are yet to overcome, but said their eyes remain fixed upon the Lord. As I reflected on where we were, there was no sense of fear about potential threats of prevalent insecurity, church invasion, kidnapping or persecution that several in Nigeria have faced and continue to experience. I listened to the confident affirmation of God as “our help in ages and past, our hope for years to come”.

As the countdown towards 2026 began and ended with shouts of “Happy New Year” I noticed several people still lying prostrate in thanksgiving and prayer before God in acts of full submission. There is hardly a better way to start the New Year than this: to put our trust in the unfailing God of Jeremiah. Even in a context of uncertainty, Jeremiah assures us of God’s ever-abiding mercies and compassion: “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Regardless of what the previous year may have been for us, be it in personal life or ministry, we can trust in God, whose mercy and compassion for us are new every morning and indeed every New Year of our Lord.