The cure has begun

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

C.S. Lewis in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader says,

He had relapses. There were still many days when he could be very tiresome. But most of those I shall not notice. The cure had begun. - C.S. Lewis

The phrase "the cure had begun," caught my attention so much when I read through this devotional.  I am going through another one of those patches of nerves and nervousness, searching for answers to difficult questions and purpose, wondering about new things, grieving old losses, and praying not to fall and fail in my ongoing walk with Christ.  I am sometimes, more than I want to admit or wish, tired and angry or otherwise less than I desire of myself and less than I believe God desires of me.

My home life is busy and I often feel like I am failing my wife and children.  My prayer life took a tumble and is only beginning to recover, it seems.  I've restarted my morning devotional time, but haven't recovered the discipline of getting quiet, nor of fasting and prayer.  In addition, I've had my share of spiritual battles for the past few weeks.  For these reasons, when I cam across this devotional I could truly say that it speaks to my life.

Like the character in the story, I know that I have been re-created by the Lord.  I know that I am a new creation.  I know that old things have passed away just as the author of the letter to Corinth states:

Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and see—a new life has begun!  2 Corinthians 5:17 (VOICE)

I also relate to the character in the truth that I too have relapses and failures.  I also have bouts of fear about home, work, finances and sometime even about my eternity.  I have falls and setbacks that I thought we long past and over.  That is why the phrase really stood out.  It reminded me that I can take heart that God has begun a work in me and He is faithful to complete it.  It reminded me that God is faithful and that he is able.  It reminded me that God is able to save completely those who have placed their hope and their trust in them.  I was even able to remember that Christ said, "It is finished."

As Randy Kilgore says in the "Our Daily Bread" devotional for May 28, 2014,

The moment we find Jesus, our eternity with Him begins. He walks alongside us so He can change us into the people we long to be and were created to be. - Randy Kilgore

It is true that today I am not who I'd like to be, and today I am not who I shall at last be.  It is equally and of better news that I am also not who I was yesterday. Indeed, I am in the journey of being remade into the image of Christ.  As John says,

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 (ESV)

It is not clear yet, but, oh when I see Him face to face it shall at last be clear that I am His and I have been made like Him.  I look forward to that day, and thank you dear Lord that you have begun a good work in me and I trust like Paul that:

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

I am praying that the Lord God Almighty who shouts and whispers, will be with us all, and continue to speak to our hearts, and continue the process of sanctification till completion.

Father, my actions aren't adequate to fix my failures. And I am too weak to pull myself up to you and your holiness.  Thank You for doing that through Your Son Jesus who gave Himself for us so that our sins may be covered and our relationship with You restored.  Help me to look up and walk with You.  - Our Daily Bread

Indeed the steadfast love of the Lord never fails and His mercy never ends.  His love, mercy, grace and peace are new (and available to us) every morning.  Yes, Lord, how great is your faithfulness.

References:

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, compiled in A Year with Aslan.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Copyright © 1952 by C. S. Lewis Pte., Ltd. Copyright renewed © 1980 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. A Year With Aslan: Daily Reflections from The Chronicles of Narnia. Copyright © 2010 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Extracts taken from The Chronicles of Narnia. Copyright © C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. 1950-1956. All rights reserved.

The Crash, Our Daily Bread.  May 28,2014
Copyright © 2014, RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA.