Surviving Chaos

A Communion Meditation

Have you noticed that everything seems to have an expiration date?

Some expiration dates make sense.

Milk? Absolutely

Eggs? That makes sense.

Medicine? Sure.

But… Car seats? Cosmetics? Even software expires.

It feels like someone got carried away with the expiration label maker.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that expiration dates have become part of the way we think. We expect everything to eventually run out.

Batteries lose their charge.

Clothes wear out. Cars don’t last forever.

Phones become “obsolete”. Warranties expire. And sometimes relationships come to an end.

We live in a world where almost everything has limits.

And if we’re not careful, we can begin to think that God must have limits too.

Maybe you’ve caught yourself thinking:

“I’ve sinned too many times”

“I’ve had too many chances”

“I’ve wandered too far”

“God must be finished with me.”

If you’ve ever wrestled with thoughts like those, please know you are not alone.

These beautiful words from Lamentations 3:22–23 were written for moments just like this:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Did you catch that? “His compassions never fail.”

Not occasionally.

Not most of the time. NEVER.

His compassion doesn’t wear out.

His tenderness never loses its strength.

His love doesn’t expire.

And every single morning, His mercy is brand new- not because we deserve it, but because He is faithful.

That’s why we gather around the Lord’s Table.

Communion is God’s weekly reminder that His mercy didn’t run out this week either.

The bread reminds us that Jesus willingly gave His body for us, taking the punishment we deserved so that we could receive the forgiveness we never could have earned on our own.

The cup reminds us that His blood established a new covenant, making forgiveness and reconciliation available to all who come to Him in faith.

And together, the bread and the cup proclaim that because Jesus’ sacrifice was offered once for all, God’s mercy is still new, His grace is still sufficient, and His invitation is still open.

So, the next time you notice an expiration date, let it remind you of something even greater:

God’s mercy for you isn’t marked with one.