- Goodness and Mercy
Psalm 23.6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
God promises His individual sheep that goodness and mercy, kindness and steadfast love, will pursue him and stay with him every day of his life. Since the Good Shepherd is always with us so His characteristics of goodness and mercy will always be with us, even on those days when these qualities seem to be absent. No matter what he sees and feels, goodness and mercy is still there for him and he can reach out and take hold of it in any time of need. No day will be without it.
It is possible to imagine goodness and mercy as two angels, persons sent by God, present with us at all times, never leaving, always protecting, always serving, ever looking after our welfare. These promises, these blessings, these persons will be there without fail every day for the rest of our lives. This is so because of his mercy, not because of my merits; neither will they be absent because of my sin and failing. Goodness and mercy will follow me because He promised; He said so.
Goodness will supply every want; mercy shall forgive when sins crop up: provision and pardon is given by these guardian angels every step of the way. The believer lives on Promise: The Shepherd will never leave or forsake. Every promise is centered in Christ; He has the right and the title to the performance of every one of them, and He has given to us the full right and title to use His rights and privileges as our own.
The goodness and mercy of God includes innumerable blessings and are applicable to the varied conditions of life, having the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come: food and clothing, safety and protection, guidance and direction, refuge and deliverance, pardon and sanctification, answers to prayers; grace to overcome temptation, the favor and presence of God for the future. No condition of life is left unsupplied.
We rely on the character of our God and the veracity of His promises, and say, “Surely….” It is not because of any merit or worthiness in me nor for any service I can render, but it is of his own excellent nature and the glory of His Name. He is good, so he does good; He is love, so he shows love. Raze all self-righteousness and human merit. His goodness is abundant and immeasurable, precious and satisfying, free, unfailing and universal. He mercy is indescribable.