Vol. 20 No. 13 | March 26, 2018
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6a).
For the Psalmist, surely means this statement is a sure thing. There is no doubt that goodness and love will follow David all the days of his life. It’s a promise he believes, counts on, one that brings him comfort.
Surely might also indicate some sense of hope with a bit of doubt tossed in. For example, “Surely it’s not going to rain again this weekend.” “Surely we won’t have another snow storm.” “Surely the Lord is going to be good to me…I sure hope He is.”
Are you confident that goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life? Is this a hopeful longing or a statement of complete confidence? You have gone through some difficult times. You have experienced troubles and trials. Are you hoping goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life? Or are you certain because you know God is goodness and love and you know He will provide goodness and love to you?
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.
Reminders of God’s goodness and love are all around us. Take a few minutes and reflect on the goodness and love that the Lord has shown you so far in your life. Have you had and are you experiencing a good life? Even with the trials and trouble, can you say your life is good? Has His love been made real to you by in big and small ways? Yes, you have had disappointments and moments of heartache and pain. But when you search your heart, can you see and feel His love?
Need some help remembering His goodness and love? You probably have a fairly nice place to live. You probably haven’t gone hungry longer than a few hours. You may have, or have had, a family that loves you (although some may not). You must have enough resources to at least have access to a computer and other forms of technology. You can look outside and enjoy the beauty of Spring (or another snowfall for some of you).
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.
Based on what you’ve read and experienced, is there any reason to wonder or doubt that God’s goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life? Do you have any grounds to make an argument that God will suddenly stop being good and loving to you? Is there anything about His nature that would lead you to believe He has given you all the goodness and love He is going to give you? Do you think He would tap you on the shoulder and say, “Hey! You’ve had enough! No more goodness and love for you. Good luck with your life. I’ll catch you toward the end.”
There is not a chance that will or could happen.
God loves you. He is your shepherd. You are His sheep. You belong to Him. He leads you, He guides you, He provides you with food and shelter and comfort. He will be with you even through the dark shadows of death. (NOTE: Read Romans 8 for more comfort and assurance.)
A suggestion for this week: take notice of the different ways God shows you His goodness and love. Write them down. Hold on to the list and reflect on it. Add to it regularly.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
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