Blessed By His Goodness and Mercy

Psalm 23:6 NIV, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Aren’t you glad that the goodness and mercy of the Lord are following you? If He wasn’t good, and if He wasn’t merciful, no telling where we’d be. It never ceases to amaze me, that God has a new portion of goodness and mercy available to us everyday.

When I think of the flaws I have and the many sins I’ve committed, I’m in awe that He would show me goodness and mercy anyway. His compassion outweighs any failures we have had. He chooses to be good to us and do what is best for us in every circumstance. God’s mercy causes Him to look beyond the surface, and into the depths of our hearts so He can meet our true needs. His goodness and mercy are like a beautiful green tree that will never die.

Photo by: Skitterphoto

May we choose to dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever, surrounded by His goodness and mercy, and fulfilled by His joy and love.

His Goodness and Mercy

Psalm 23:6 KJB, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

This verse is a regular prayer of thanksgiving for me. I find myself telling God often that I’m thankful for His goodness and mercy that follow me all the days of my life. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for His goodness and His mercy. The fact that He is good, and has mercy on us is a big part of the reason we are even still here today.

His goodness and mercy is an extension of His great love for us. Remembering how good and merciful God is, is a humbling thought. Because He is so good and merciful to us, we can extend the same thing to other people.

What a joy it is to know that the Lord’s goodness and mercy is following us everyday. What an honor and a privilege it is to worship the Lord and dwell in His house forever.

God’s Working Things Out

Romans 8:28 NIV, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This verse is a true expression of God’s sovereignty. When we love Him, and we are dedicated to His purpose, He causes everything in our lives to work together for good. Of course it may not seem like it when we are going through hard times, but everything that happens, both good and bad, are part of His bigger plan. Often times, we have to look back and recall God’s blessings, to better see how He has worked things together for good.

Psalm 77:12 NIV, “I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

The Psalmist took time to meditate on all the mighty things God had done. Doing so wiIl strengthen our faith and trust in God. I know for me, I can look back over my years in the workplace and see numerous times God has worked things out for my good. For example, one time I left a company that had a bad work environment, and shortly after leaving, half of my department was let go. God spared me the drama of having my job snatched away. He knew what was up the road. His timing for me to leave “in advance” was perfect.

With God, none of our experiences are ever wasted. Rather good or bad, He will use them for His glory and our growth. Like the Psalmist, we should take time to meditate on God’s mighty deeds. Then we can be reminded of His goodness and mercy that follow us, each and every day of our lives.

Meditate on His Goodness

Keep Doing Good

Galatians 6:9 NIV, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

I used to keep this verse on my desk at work, so that I could remind myself daily of the importance of doing right. The key is keeping our focus on Jesus Christ and not people. When we look at people, we will often see many who are not doing right, yet they seem to be prospering.

Psalm 1:6 NLT, “For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.”

Sinful wicked ways will eventually lead to destruction. However following the ways of Christ will lead to life. He promised to protect us and watch over us as we seek Him. He also has promised that we will reap a harvest if we do not give up on doing good.

It’s often easy to do what is wrong, but it takes faith and perseverance to do what is right. Doing what is right will bring God glory, while helping to lead others to Christ because of our godly actions. Keep persevering and doing good. Remember, God is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Nothing’s Too Great for The Love of Christ

Psalm 136:3, “Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.”

There’s no hurt or pain that’s too great for Our Lord Jesus. He lovingly carries every burden we have, if we will only give our burdens to Him. We can tell Him anything, and He still loves us. Over and over again, He still chooses to love us. Nothing can stop His love for us, not even our darkest sins.

His faithful love endures forever…

He knows all there is to know about us, because He knows us so intimately. In His presence we can completely be ourselves. He meets us where we are and patiently waits. He waits while we grow and learn. He waits while we learn to love Him. His love never ceases to amaze me.

His faithful love endures forever…

I’m so thankful for His love today and everyday. His love and grace remain the same. People may change. The world will change. But Jesus Christ, He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever more (Hebrews 13:8). No one or nothing compares to Him.

His faithful love endures forever…

Fruit of the Spirit: GOODNESS

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

GOODNESS. Goodness is the ability to choose right over wrong, or good over evil. God’s Spirit works in us to create pure hearts that are willing to choose what is right from God’s perspective. We are living in a time where choosing godliness is not usually celebrated. Instead many people are more interested in pleasing the flesh, and doing whatever they think makes them feel good. Living by feelings and the flesh instead of the Word of God will lead to destruction (James 1:15). Choosing to obey God’s Word and live by the Holy Spirit (goodness), will lead to life (John 6:63).

I pray God will help us as Christians to choose what is good in His sight, even when we feel the pressure of the world’s evil ways. I pray He will help us not to compromise and fall prey to sinful temptations. As we choose to live righteously for Him, we will enjoy the blessings of the abundant life Jesus died to give us.

God’s Word is GOOD…

1.Romans 12:21 (NIV), “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

2.Romans 12:9 (NIV), “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

3.Nahum 1:7(NIV),“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”

We overcome evil by choosing to do what is good. Cling to what is good! God is a good God who will always do what is right. So we can trust Him completely. We can have full confidence that when we choose what is “good”, He will fight on our behalf to bring justice wherever it is needed. Walk in Goodness!

***Share your thoughts on GOODNESS in the comments.

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