January 30, 2026
The Courage To Begin Again
Lamentations 3:22-23 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
The artist stares at the canvas she’s been working on for weeks. One careless stroke of the wrong color has ruined what was nearly complete. She could try to fix it, layer over the mistake, work around the error. But deep down she knows the truth—this piece is beyond saving. With a heavy sigh, she reaches for a fresh canvas. Starting over feels like failure, but sometimes it’s the only path forward.
Life hands us moments like this—relationships that can’t be repaired, careers that dead-end, dreams that collapse despite our best efforts. We stand holding the wreckage of what we built, faced with a choice: keep trying to salvage the unsalvageable, or find the courage to begin again.
The book of Lamentations was written amid the ruins of Jerusalem, after everything God’s people had built lay in ashes. Yet even there, in the middle of catastrophic loss, the prophet discovered a truth that changed everything: God’s mercies are new every morning. Yesterday’s failure doesn’t determine today’s possibilities. Last year’s collapse doesn’t define this year’s potential.
Scripture is filled with people who found courage to begin again. Abraham started over in a new land at seventy-five. Moses began his true calling at eighty. Peter rebuilt his ministry after denying Christ three times. Paul redirected his entire life after encountering Jesus on the Damascus road. Each one discovered that God specializes in fresh starts.
The grace to begin again isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen. It’s about trusting that God’s faithfulness is greater than our failures. Every sunrise brings new mercy. Every morning offers another chance. The question isn’t whether we’ve failed before—it’s whether we’ll trust God’s compassion enough to try again.
Today’s Prayer: Lord, give me courage to begin again, trusting that Your mercies are new this morning. Amen.
Reflection Question: What have you given up on that God might be inviting you to courageously attempt again?