When You Feel Like Starting Over
Strength for the Journey
Day 4
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
— Lamentations 3:22–23
There are days in the recovery journey where I feel like I’m starting over — again. Maybe I didn’t handle a situation the way I wanted to. Maybe old habits resurfaced. Maybe I felt fear or discouragement creeping in. Maybe I just didn’t show up the way I hoped.
On days like this, shame tries to tell me that I’m back at the beginning. But God tells a different story.
His mercies are new every morning — not because I got everything right yesterday, but because He is faithful today.
Starting over is not failure. It’s courage. It means I’m choosing hope again. It means I’m refusing to stay stuck. It means I trust that God’s love meets me right here.
For families, too, there are moments when patience feels thin, when emotions run high, or when hope feels fragile. But God’s mercies meet you as well. You are not asked to carry yesterday’s weight into today.
Every new beginning is a doorway to grace.
Prayer for your day.
Father, thank You for mercy that resets my heart.
When I feel like I’m starting over, remind me that You’re not disappointed —
You’re present.
Give me fresh strength for today. Amen.
Put it in action.
Identify one place where you need a “new morning” today.
Speak this quietly:
“Lord, thank You for new mercy in this place. Help me begin again.”