New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional

by Paul David Tripp

Paul David Tripp’s Bestselling Devotional Features 365 Gospel-Centered Readings for the Whole Year

Mornings can be tough. Sometimes, a hearty breakfast and strong cup of coffee just aren’t enough. Offering far more than a rush of caffeine, bestselling author Paul David Tripp aims to energize Christian readers with the most potent encouragement the gospel. 

In the popular devotional New Morning Mercies, 365 engaging readings lead off with a compelling, gospel-centered thought, followed by an extended meditation for the day. Focused less on behavior modification and more on helping people encounter the living God, this resource equips readers with the good news that they need to trust in God’s goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory—day in and day out.

365 Engaging  Each daily reading includes questions for personal reflection and application, guidelines for prayer, and a list of relevant biblical passages for further study Popular Daily  Over 1 million copies sold Written by Paul David  Author of several books, including Lead; Reactivity; and Journey to the A 40-Day Lenten Devotional

Genres: Christian, Devotional, Faith, Nonfiction, Christianity, Christian Living, Theology

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2014

About the author

Paul was born in Toledo, Ohio to Bob and Fae Tripp on November 12, 1950. Paul spent all of his growing years in Toledo until his college years when his parents moved to Southern California.
At Columbia Bible College from 1968-1972, (now Columbia International University) Paul majored in Bible and Christian Education. Although he had planned to be there for only two years and then to study journalism, Paul more and more felt like there was so much of the theology of Scripture that he did not understand, so he decided to go to seminary. Paul met Luella Jackson at College and they married in 1971. In 1971, Paul took his first pastoral position and has had a heart for the local church ever since. After college, Paul completed his Master of Divinity degree at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary (now known as Philadelphia Theological Seminary) in Philadelphia (1972-1975). It was during these days that Paul’s commitment to ministry solidified. After seminary, Paul was involved in planting a church in Scranton, Pennsylvania (1977-1987) where he also founded a Christian School. During the years in Scranton, Paul became involved in music, traveling with a band and writing worship songs. In Scranton, Paul became interested in biblical counseling and decided to enroll in the D.Min program in Biblical Counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Paul then became a faculty member of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) and a lecturer in biblical counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Paul has also served as Visiting Professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
In 2009, Paul joined the faculty of Redeemer Seminary (daughter school of Westminster) in Dallas, Texas as Professor of Pastoral Life and Care.[1]
Beginning in June, 2006, Paul became the President of Paul Tripp Ministries, a non-profit organization, whose mission statement is "Connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life." In addition to his current role as President of Paul Tripp Ministries, on January 1, 2007, Paul also became part of the pastoral staff at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA where he preached every Sunday evening and lead the Ministry to Center City through March, 2011 when he resigned due to the expanding time commitments needed at Paul Tripp Ministries.
Paul, Luella, and their four children moved to Philadelphia in 1987 and have lived there ever since. Paul is a prolific author and has written twelve books on Christian living which are sold internationally. Luella manages a large commercial art gallery in the city and Paul is very dedicated to painting as an avocation.[2] Paul’s driving passion is to help people understand how the gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ really does speak with practical hope into all the things they will face in this broken world. Paul is a pastor with a pastor’s heart, a gifted speaker, his journey taking him all over the world, an author of numerous books on practical Christian living, and a man who is hopelessly in love with Luella.

Reviews

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strong daily devotional.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not big on devotional books. I buy lots of them because...?... well, because I suppose I think I should?!? But if I ever consistently pull one out it usually ends up being My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. That being said, I LOVE this book by Paul Tripp. I started January's devotions in October and I'm currently up to March!?! I've accidentally discovered that this kind of works to relieve the stress of my perfectionist/ocd personality. If I miss a day, it's no big deal, I'm not stressing out trying to match my devotional to my calendar - one is on March 3rd and the other is on December 2nd..... and it's all good! And God is getting His message through to me just fine, no matter what date is at the top of the page!

Nine more months to go but I already know this a 5-star book so I'm going to go ahead and rate it. And maybe buy a couple as Christmas gifts for people who might appreciate actually starting in January! 😊

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is a devotion to get, it is New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp. It takes a special gift to communicate the deep things of God in a simplistic way and that is why I subscribe to his blog and read his books. He is a great communicator of the truth.

New Morning Mercies is the mercies we find in our relationship with God when we empty ourselves and pursue the truth. Each day starts with scripture and ends with a commentary. Each day you will find yourself appreciating the mercy of God. The mercy of God is shown in every aspect of our lives whether we believe we need salvation or not. For those that understand the need for salvation, this is like a treasure hunt and you will be richer for it.

Some of the quotes from the book are just a few that I underline so make sure as you read, get the highlighter and reflect.

You can be courageous in admitting your sin precisely because God is richly abundant in his mercy. He comes to you in mercy not because you are good but because you are a sinner, and he knows that because of this condition, you are unable to help yourself.”

“Be thankful his majesty is your protection, his glory is your motivation, his grace is your help, and his wisdom is your direction. He is infinitely smarter than you and me in our most brilliant moments
“It's natural to want mercy for yourself but justice for others. It's natural to be very aware of the sin others, yet blind to your own. If we are ever going to be people of mercy, we need bountiful mercy ourselves, because what stands in the way of our being a community of mercy is us.”

“Prayer is abandoning my addiction to other glories and delighting in the one glory that is truly glorious-the glory of God

You find joy in your inclusion in his work of redemption. You find hope in the glorious future that is to come. You are amazed by the fact that because Immanuel has invaded your life by his grace, you are never, ever alone. You find peace in the fact that grace means you are never left to the small resources of your own wisdom, righteousness, and strength. You meditate on God’s glory and goodness, then celebrate. You rejoice in the fact that you no longer have to look for life in the people, situations, and locations around you, but you’ve been given life—life that is eternal.”

This book would make a great gift for those that are on your list. It brings the good news of the Gospel. It brings you as the reader in a place of worship.

A special thank you Crossway, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda Hunsberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant devotionals. Wish the scriptures were written out in the book, though.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the BEST devotional books ever! I share these devotions often with my students. I've highlighted so much good stuff & plan to re-read often. So I'm rating this book, but I am not planning to be done with it for quite some time . . .

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just going to review this now even though I'm picking it up here and there throughout the year (and unfortunately missing a lot of days in between).

I'm sort of taking a break from Tripp's books. His style is just wearing on me. That being said, I have found this devotional to be pretty encouraging. There have been several times where I was at the end of my day feeling discouraged and I turned to that date and found good teaching and encouragement.

The entries are short (a page or less) and there's a Bible reference to look up (although I wish they were longer passages). As is typical of Tripp's writing, sometimes 3/4 of the page is an illustration (or repetition of slightly different examples of an experience), but in these small doses it sort of works for me.

I've never been in the habit of a daily devotional like this so honestly I have missed entire months of this book, but I kind of like just having it in my nightstand so I can go to it at the end of the day when I think of it. Not reading each one every day will help keep it fresh from year to year and the content is solid.

Overall, I have really enjoyed having easy access to this book and have been encouraged by it many times. It's a great way to end (or start...which is probably more the recommendation) the day. I think it would make a great gift too!

[Jim Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth time I have read this book. It is very good. Every day I read a short devotional on grace. That's it. Grace, grace, and more grace. This is probably the only book I would recommend people to buy lots of copies of and give them away. Really.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Paul David Tripp 365-day devotional is a good one. Tripp has a knack for crystallizing concepts into bite-sized morsels, and that is what these are. Gospel-grounded and grace-filled readings.

[Erin Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great, gospel centered devotional. My rating is simply based on comparison to my favorite devotionals. This is a good one, but I would still have a few others I would recommend before this one (namely Spurgeon's Morning and Evening).

[ladydusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this much better than his Advent devotional. These were short, easy to read, but thoughtful devotions for each day.

[Debra]

I really hate to DNF this book, especially since it's supposed to be devotions for a whole year. That's the thing, though. I can't bring myself to read this book every day for a whole year. The devotions are great. I had read a couple samples before purchasing the book. However, they are all basically the same, and I just need some variety and to cover different topics. I get it! I'm a sinner, and I need God's new mercies and grace every day....but at some point, I need to move beyond that. I may pick up this book again at different points in the year, but I'm not going to read it daily.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the format of this daily devotional, my first read by this author. So much of what he said made me squirm in my chair a little. I know I will use this devotional again because there are so many relevant truths. Thank God for his everlasting grace and the mercies that are new each day!

[Becky Pliego · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some days the readings are excellent, nourishing and challenging, but at one point Mr. Tripp became very repetitive in his thoughts and writing style.

[PD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great daily devotional to have on your shelf. In 2023 we read it as a church-wide devotional. It is short, one page meditations and references to Scripture passages for additional reading and personal reflection.

It cultivated conversations within homes, community groups, and would get referenced in corporate worship on Sundays (often forming the Call to Worship around a passage of Scripture in the upcoming week’s reading).

[Lalla-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time doing a whole year of devotionals! This year has been tough and being in the word was sometimes even more tough— this devotional was a gift from the Lord in daily reminding me of the Gospel and pushing me to be in His word, even if all I could give that day was a few verses or a chapter! Feeling encouraged by how this book helped grow my faith :’)

[James Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best devotional I've used! Scripture is utilized in a way that i find others to lack!

[Adam Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some of this book was great and encouraging, other parts seemed bafflingly contradictory. For example, a common theme throughout was “God loves you so much, that He’s saving you from yourself…” this doesn’t make sense to me. I understand what the author is trying to say, that God is transforming us into the image of His Son, and that is wonderful and beautiful. But if that statement were true at face-value, it sounds like God doesn’t actually love me; He only loves my potential, and He actually can’t stand me. He needs to fix me into something tolerable and nice, so that He can accept me.

It almost sounds like a husband telling his wife, “Because I love you so very much, I’m working hard and spending everything I have to buy you a treadmill and a beauty salon subscription and plastic surgery so that I can rescue you from yourself and transform you into something that I can love.”

I realize that every one of us are damaged by sin. Sin has ravaged every part of all our lives, and our one and only hope for redemption is in Christ alone.

But didn’t God originally create us in His own image? Were we not designed for relationship with God? Is the corruption of sin so mighty that it completely overpowered the work of God, and utterly destroyed a valuable human being into nothing but garbage, worthy of rejection? Did sin really make us completely worthless to God, and He’s only saving us now to show the world His grace? We would never tell our children that they are worthy of rejection, but that’s exactly what Tripp says on the page for December 25.

And even after our justification, is the power of sin still so strong that it overrides our identity in Christ, and our primary identity is still sinfulness, (thus requiring the constant, yet apparently futile, “rescue from ourselves”) until our glorification? Is our new identity in Christ, or isn’t it?

I am all about magnifying the grace of our Lord. But I think the grace of God can stand on its own, without having to stand on the shoulders of human depravity to be magnified, making humankind into worthless refuse, that for some inexplicable reason, God decides to cherish.

(Side note, I’m not downplaying the devastating role that sin has played in the human race, I just don’t believe it annihilates the Imago Dei in us.)

Apart from the bent toward the utter worthlessness of humanity, this devotional was very encouraging, reminding me of Christ always working on my behalf, of His limitless grace that is uplifting and encouraging me, and His consistent “with-ness” and interest in me between the already and the not yet.

A couple of my favorite quotes from the book:

“He (our Heavenly Father) disciplines us not to teach us how far we have to go to earn the right to be his children, but because we are his children. In his discipline, he is not making us pay the penalty for our sins, but delivering us from the sins for which Christ has already paid the penalty.”

“Our reactions are not shaped by the facts of our experiences, but by the way we interpret those facts.”

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is mostly Tripp giving daily reminders of humanity's sinful nature leading to the need for a Saviour. Perhaps some can read this daily and feel merely humbled, but to me it felt like shame. I don't think people, flawed and imperfect as we are, need daily reminders that we are less than. I also disagree with Tripp's notion of predestination. A few of his devotionals broke from his daily shaming mold, but not enough to give the book more than 1 star.

[Carol Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many daily challenges and insights. Very readable and based on scripture with scripture suggestions daily.

[Nina Summerlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book last year when my son was in the hospital. It has been a daily encouragement through the hardest trial of my life.

[Emory Frie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have sat down with this book every morning this year, and I love how Paul directs our attention to God with every devotion. This serves as a day-to-day reminder of what we should already know, what Jesus has done, Who God is, how we should love our lives with Him, and the importance of gathering in worship. It’s constantly pointing the reader toward the Bible.
This devotion is not miraculous in how profound the content is, but somehow God has used this to meet me gently every morning and remind me of Him — even in the difficult seasons.
I think this line describes the heart of New Morning Mercies perfectly: “So we wake up each day committed to live the small moments of our daily lives with open eyes and humble, expectant hearts.”

[Lisa Faircloth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul David Tripp is a personal favorite due to his ability to bring hard biblical conviction to the most basic areas of every day life, while at the same time, bringing such encouragement and positivity. His writings are full of truth and wisdom, and read like something coming from a wise older friend or gentle father-figure, such a minister of kindness he is. I was always left reminded of my value, Christ’s love for me and those around me, God’s holiness and trustworthiness, that every moment, however mundane matters, and that I surrounded by His blessings, wisdom, and tender mercies at every moment. This daily devotional was readable, personal, and left me feeling convicted with truth and ministered to by grace. I often shared the excerpts with my children.

[Stephanie Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite devotional

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daily devotional written for married couples

[Jaden S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This devo book is really good. I learned more about God’s mercy and how it relates to so much more than I had ever thought of! It is more of a brainy Christian book. I would recommend!

[Jessie Gal-Chis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal 395 day devotional.
Short, sweet, and impactful. Every day.

[Katie Teague · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, the first year I used this devotional, I really liked it. I loved the emphasis on the Gospel, Christ and His kingdom, and the insignificance (in light of eternity) of our present earthly problems.

But now, a couple years into my therapy journey, processing and healing from years of trauma, this book reads very differently for me. Page after page, I see spiritual bypassing -- the use of Bible verses and biblical language to minimize and invalidate people's pain. I see biblical truth being weaponized to diminish or deny the pain we may be carrying. Some people in some situations need to be encouraged towards humility, but other people in other circumstances need to be reminded of their personhood and value.

For me, the way Tripp repeatedly reminds readers that our "little kingdoms" and "little problems" don't matter in light of Christ and His kingdom used to feel like a well-timed spiritual kick in the pants. Nowadays, it sounds more like a lack of genuine compassion for hurting people and a dismissive rebuke to stop whining and get over it (whatever "it" may be for you).

Of course as a Christian, I take daily comfort in the gospel. But in my opinion, Tripp spends too much time reminding us how small and unimportant we are (along with our cares and worries) and not enough time reminding us that we have a Savior Who weeps with us in our grief and sits with us in our pain. There are times where we need to be "put in our place," but that needs to be balanced with reminders of how valuable, precious, and compassionately loved we are by our Father in heaven.

[Abby Tamkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving up on this. There is certainly good truth in the book, but the style is not for me. I recommend Keller's Songs of Jesus instead.
1) I'm not usually into daily devotionals, so I've started out with cynical.
2) I think that the tiny space in which each devotional has to fit precludes a good, developed argument.
3) The premise of the book, starting with pithy tweets and turning them into developed, page long devotionals, seems ripe for a low quality product
4) While I thought the original tweets were pretty good and useful as a small meditation/prayer aid, they didn't scale well and the devotional ended up feeling cheesy, glib, and sappy to me.
5) So to sum up, this book is about the gospel, but I was disappointed by the lack of depth and didn't connect with the glib style in which it was written.
Keller's Psalms based devotional, Songs of Jesus, came out a couple of weeks ago. I bought it immediately, and am much more pleased with it. Opening with scripture is a good way to stay focused, and the devotional is short. The starter prayers at the end of each page of incisive and insightful, pointing me to truths about my self and about my Father.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll keep this review short & sweet: I do not normally like devotionals. The multiple times I've tried one, I've found them lacking. So when I say I really enjoyed New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, I think that should tell even those who wrestle with finding a good devotional to give this one a try. Admittedly, I missed some days but I did find that there were some days where Tripp repeated a devotional. While some may find this annoying or "lazy", I found it refreshing as I often forget things. The repetition served to help further cement a truth about God into my head.

In all honesty, if I can't find another suitable devotional for 2018, I'll just read through this one again. I enjoyed it that much.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

On a normal five star scale this is probably just average at three stars, but the Goodreads scale would have put this at "liked it." I liked about 30 of the 365 days. That's less than 10%. (I've never known as accurately how much of a book I liked.) The rest of it was just ok.

Basically, the author focuses on the negative qualities of the human condition--sin, evil, apathy, depravity, hopelessnes--more than I'd like. Not that it's wrong, but I prefer an optimistic outlook, which he has with God's grace. Is it wrong that I think some people in this world can be "good" without God even if they lack eternal salvation?