This must be one of the sweetest phrases ever penned in
scripture.
Let’s read it is some other translations.
I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and
your house will be my home as long as I live. TEV
Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days, and I will live in the Lord's house for the
rest of my life. NET
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home
in the house of God for the rest of my life. The Message
Look at that first word, Surely.
David didn’t say, “Maybe goodness and
mercy will follow me…” Or possibly
goodness and mercy will follow me..” Or “I
have a hunch that goodness and mercy shall follow me.” David could have
used one of those phrases but he didn’t. David believed in a sure God who makes
His promises and provides a sure foundation. David uses the word Surely. It means certainly and is akin to a word that mean firmly according to Strong’s.
David would have loved James’ take on this in James
1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down
from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning. NKJV
The Phillips translation say, “… with whom there is never the
slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency.”
Our moods may shift, but God doesn’t. Our minds may change,
but God’s doesn’t. Our devotions may falter, but God’s never does. Even if we
are faithless, He is faithful, for He cannot betray Himself. Paul in writing to
his son in the gospel tells Timothy as he starts chapter three of the second
book, “Timothy, you therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ.” Paul then says later on in the chapter. If we are faithless, he remains
faithful; he cannot deny Himself. 2
Timothy 2:13 NKJV
And what follows the word surely? “Goodness and Mercy.”
If the Lord is the Good Shepherd leading His flock, goodness
and mercy are two real good sheepdogs that guard the rear of the flock.
Goodness and mercy, not just one or the other but both. We need both, goodness
and mercy with us. For goodness alone
would leave us without help in our failures when we need mercy, not mercy alone
because we are fragile and in need of the goodness of God. Goodness to supply
our needs and sometimes wants and mercy to forgive us of our failures and lack
of faith. Goodness to provide and mercy to pardon.
Goodness and mercy
– the celestial escort of God’s flock.
And because He is a sure God, we can state with confidence, “Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
We may not listen to the voice of God at times, we may tend
to do our own thing and act contrary to His Word. Yet, when we realize we don’t
do well on our own and turn to look back at God, there is Goodness and Mercy.
Goodness and mercy to follow us each and every day, all the days
of our life.
Think of the days you have ahead. What do you see? Much of
it is guess work and much is totally unknown. But there are some things that
look to be a given right now.
Some of you have days at home alone with only toddler to
talk to. God will be right there following you as you chase after a kid. Some
of you have days stacked on top of days of a dead end job. God will be right
there in every sigh. Some of you have days of real uncertainty. God will be
there every day helping with every step of direction.
Some of you have days of loneliness. God will take your hand
and you will feel His presents.
Goodness and mercy, there to follow you and me every day.
I don’t know all of what tomorrow will bring. I don’t
understand every step along the way. But I do know this; I don’t want to walk
those steps without God Almighty being there. There every step! I longing want
Goodness and Mercy following the steps God has order for my life.
Drop those bags of doubt and worry you have been dragging
around. It’s getting on your nerves, it’s taking your living, and it’s causing
others around you to try to stay away from you. It’s making your travels
miserable. Lose the bag of doubts and worries.
Isaiah tells us if we will make the right decisions, if we
respond right to the goodness and mercy of our life, there is a great
promise. Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall
spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of
the Lord shall be your rear guard. Isaiah
58:8 NKJV
As David uses the phrase “follow me” it seems a strange way to describe God but there it is.
We are accustom to the Lord sitting on His throne in heaven
and ruling and ordaining His will from there. We tend to forget that is is
everywhere, even walking with us the path He ordained.
Yes, David sees God very mobile and active. Dare we do the
same?
(Some thoughts taken from the
book Traveling Light)
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