After a hard week, at the beginning of another when I am trying to gain strength and determination to take on the next days that look equally challenging, I read this:

I still dare to hope when I remember this:
The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him!”
The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.
Lamentations 3:21-26

I am reminded of who and whose I am. My identity changed when God rescued me and moved me from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His Son.

And now the Lord is my inheritance. I think of the first words of the verse that asks, What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world… What have I gained? Certainly not much of this world.

But I have gained all of who God is.

And I have gained His words and thoughts, written to me. As I start reading, I am reminded:

He carries me through every moment of each day. Psalm 68:19
He showers His children with kindness and mercy. Ephesians 2:7
Even in the hard times, He is shaping us to be those great oaks He has planted for His glory. Isaiah 61:3
He called me, and He is faithful to do everything He says. 1 Corinthians 1:9
He will keep me strong to the end. 1 Corinthians 1:8
He has dressed me to be—and live!—as His child. Isaiah 61:10
I can expect new mercies today! Lamentations 3:23

I page through His written words to me, and the promises and assurances leap off the page. These few are only a small sample. A deluge of compassion and love has saturated my morning.

This is the God who is my inheritance as His daughter. This is what I have gained.

After a hard week, at the beginning of another that looks equally difficult, I sit down to search for God and wait quietly and depend on Him. And I read this: “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. They are new every morning. The LORD is my inheritance.”

And so I still dare to hope.