It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Lam.3:22-26

Diane, a perfectionist and a tecaher pleaser, stood before her teacher, crying as if her heart would break. Why? Because she had completely spoiled the paper she was to write her assignment on. "Teacher, may I have a new page?" she wailed. Her compassionate eacher comforted her and gave her a new sheet. A happy smile now lit up Diane's face.

Every day our compassionate Saviour gives us a new page. "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning." So daily we can both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Although we shoud constantly be growing in our relationship with Christ and should not fall into sin again and again, nearly every day in our Chirstian walk we consciously or unconsciously fail in some way. How thankful we can be for the good news that Jesus gives us not only one new page, but a new page and a new opportuity every day.

The apostle Paul reminds us: "If a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether" (2 Cor. 5:17). As long as a person remains "in Christ"-- in close touch with Jesus-- this promise is renewd every day. United with jesus through faith each day of this new year, you and I can claim the promise that "the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new" (verse 17). Each day, Jesus will give you and i a new page.

Happy New Year!