There are mornings when we wake up carrying yesterday with us. Perhaps it was something we said, a decision we regret, a prayer that still seems unanswered, or simply the weight of a difficult season that has followed us longer than we expected. We open our eyes, but our hearts are still somewhere in yesterday.
It is into this kind of weariness that the Hebrew phrase Chasdei Adonai (חַסְדֵי יְהוָה, pronounced: khas-DEI ah-doh-NAI) speaks so beautifully. It means “the mercies of the Lord” or “the lovingkindness of the Lord.” The Hebrew word chesed (חֶסֶד, pronounced: khesed) is difficult to capture with a single English word because it carries the idea of mercy, steadfast love, kindness, and covenant faithfulness. It is love that does not disappear when circumstances change. It is the faithful love of God toward those who belong to Him.
“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
What makes these words even more powerful is where we find them. The prophet Jeremiah was not writing from a place of comfort or ease. He was looking at devastation. Jerusalem had suffered greatly, the people were grieving, and the future appeared uncertain. Yet in the middle of his sorrow, Jeremiah deliberately turned his heart toward the character of God. He remembered Chasdei Adonai—the mercies of the Lord.
This is one of the great lessons of faith. We do not always have the power to immediately change our circumstances, but we can choose what we bring back to our hearts. Jeremiah remembered that God’s mercy had not disappeared. His compassion had not been exhausted. His faithfulness had not changed simply because the season was painful.
The same truth is revealed to us so beautifully in Yeshua.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
Ephesians 2:4-5
Through Yeshua, we see the mercy of God reaching directly into our brokenness. God did not wait for us to become strong enough, righteous enough, or worthy enough to approach Him. He came toward us in mercy. When we were spiritually dead, He gave us life. When sin had separated us from Him, He opened the way for reconciliation.
This means that God’s mercy is not merely a comforting idea for difficult days. It is at the very heart of our salvation. We live because God is merciful. We are forgiven because God is merciful. We can come before Him again because His mercy is greater than our failures.
Perhaps you have been carrying something from yesterday. A mistake you keep replaying. A disappointment you cannot seem to release. Maybe you feel that you should be further along in your walk with God by now, or that you have failed Him too many times in the same area.
Chasdei Adonai reminds us that the mercy of God is not exhausted by yesterday.
Scripture tells us that His mercies are new every morning. That means when you woke up today, you did not wake up to the leftovers of God’s mercy. You did not receive whatever compassion remained after yesterday. His mercy meets you again—fresh, faithful, and completely rooted in who He is.
This does not mean that our choices do not matter or that God ignores sin. His mercy leads us toward repentance, restoration, and a transformed life. But we do not change because God has rejected us. We change because His kindness draws us back to Him and His grace gives us strength to walk differently.
Today, you can pray these simple Hebrew words: Chasdei Adonai.
When yesterday feels heavy, remember the mercies of the Lord. When you feel ashamed, remember the mercies of the Lord. When the future feels uncertain, remember the mercies of the Lord. His compassion has not failed. His faithfulness has not changed. And through Yeshua, the mercy of God has reached even you.
Chasdei Adonai—the mercies of the Lord. They are new every morning.
A Prayer
Father, thank You for Your mercy and steadfast love. Thank You that Your compassion does not fail and that Your faithfulness does not change with my circumstances. Help me to release the weight of yesterday and receive the mercy You give me today.
When I feel discouraged, remind me of Chasdei Adonai—the mercies of the Lord. Thank You for the mercy You have shown me through Yeshua and for the new life I have in Him. Lead me in repentance, restore my heart, and help me walk faithfully with You today. In Yeshua’s name, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Israel Pochtar
