Few things are greater than the anticipation felt on Christmas Eve. We are excited about the joyous celebrations with family and friends, the great food, and more that will come with the dawn of a new day. But not everyday can be this exciting. Pondering on it, there are days that the only thing we see are thick, dark clouds on top of us. And that's when we start asking, "When will the sun show its face again," or "Can you please shed some light?"

It is inevitable for us to feel down, distressed, depressed, or other negative feelings. And we can admit that these emotions do not always stay for a just day or for a night. Whether we like it or not, the clouds can linger for days and days. Who would want that? That heavy, burdened feeling? I don’t and I guess you too.

There is a passage in the Bible that says, "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." - Lamentations 3:22-23

That was just one powerful statement from the Lord. Whatever we're going through, if we feel weak today, we know that we will once again be filled with love, mercy, compassion, hope and everything that we need on the next waking day of our lives. God’s blessings continue to greet us with the rising of every new morning.

"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." - Lamentations 3:22-23

Even in our darkest times, God is already giving us new beginnings, and fresh starts. God gives us the strength to look at the circumstances in our lives and see how God is shaping us, molding us, and building our relationship with Him, shaping us into the Christians we are called to be.

God also mentions that "we are not consumed." Since God continues to sustain us, we should not run out of love and understanding for the people around us. If you get angry with someone today, then love that person again tomorrow. If you get angry again, love her still the next day. This is the reason why God is renewing our hearts and minds everyday: for us to share the love of God with others. Let us generously return that love to others.

Each morning, each new breath, is like a daily Christmas Eve. It gives us the excitement or feeling of opening a box or a gift everyday. Tomorrow, start your day off like this: “Today, I will be excited to open this gift from God that contains everything I need to keep me going and prepares me for whatever will happen today.”’Let us do that until it becomes a routine.

Discussion Question: What difficult circumstances have helped you to grow in your faith?

See more devotions from Ann Lea and our other Young Adult writers, or find our how you can become a writer yourself, at our Young Adult devotions page.