“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23 

Written by Rev. Brandon Durán

Do you have a life verse?

I had no idea how to answer that question the first time I heard it.  To be frank, it felt a little cheesy.  My first instinct was to make a joke because I wasn’t sure what else to do with the question.  So I offered Song of Solomon 1:6 as my “life verse.”

“Do not stare at me because I am dark.” – Song of Solomon 1:6

Yet the idea of a life verse took on more meaning for me when I lived in China.

I moved to China because I wanted to live in a place where I felt completely discombobulated.  I wanted to see what traits would rise to the surface within me when my life was shaken up.  It was illuminating and it was difficult.  After the first few months, the excitement of a new place wore off and grind of daily life began to set in.  I was working in a profession that was new to me and at the end of most days my mind would replay all of the mistakes I had made at work.  I was struggling on multiple levels and began to daily question the wisdom of moving to China.  It was then that the verse from Lamentations was shared with me from a friend.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

My soul leaned heavily into the language “God’s mercies are new every morning.”  This verse became my heart’s response to the self-incriminations and frustrations I felt at the end of the day.  This verse became a reminder to shift my focus off of myself and over to God.  This verse was saving my life, one day at a time.

In this way it became a verse that gave me life.

To this day, this verse reframes for me my time in China and it helps me see today in a healing and hopeful light.

May the Holy Spirit bring you this day a verse that gives you life.