We all Love Psalm 23, don't we? It's one of the best known and most popular of all Psalms and is attributed to King David (as many of the psalms are), thought to have been written towards the end of his life.
Psalm 23 may be divided into two sections; the first explores the image of God, guiding and caring for His sheep, and these theme is reflected in the New Testament, where Jesus is seen to be the Good shepherd of the flock(John 10:1-21). In the second section, David is invited to partake in a meal and the Lord God is the host of this extravagant banquet.
It then follows with what I would call as it were; a confession. Thus:
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" Psalm 23:6
I am going to concentrate on this last bit of the Psalm, Verse 6, as shown above, and as God gives me grace, I will expound on it for us in light of of our Inheritance in Christ Jesus and our oneness and fellowship with God, the LORD of hosts.
I say, in light of our inheritance in Christ because, everything that humanity will ever need has been consummated in Christ, so, if you have Christ in you, most assuredly, you lack nothing for Christ in you is your hope of glory, for God has blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Without further adieu, let's fasten our seat belts, sit back, relax, for it is blessing time!
Let's begin;...
Surely:
Whenever you use the word surely, it's indicative of absolute belief, lack of doubt, certainty and wholeness. You are absolutely at par with your understanding and your heart is in sync with your whole being: there is oneness!
So, you say surely and go on to say;
Goodness:
waw! Our God is good and in Him there is no iniquity. So when Jesus is truly Lord of your life, by all accounts and in all respects, goodness must manifest in your life. It is not rocket science. No, it's plain simple.
But then, what exactly is goodness! You may ask.
Aaah! Good question.
Goodness is the manifestation of God's power in your life, the expression of His Love that is shed abroad in your heart, and it is also the ability to make sound decisions and not to live in fear "For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND" 2Timothy 1:7
See, that is goodness! to live with Power, in Love and having a sound mind! Glory Hallelujah!
So, next time someone asks you how you are, or how you are doing, Stand tall, square your shoulders, look them in the eye, and say; I am GOOD! and you know exactly what you're talking about: You are manifesting God's power, living in Love and you have a sound mind. Gochaaaa!
Not only are we talking about goodness, there is also;
Mercy:
Our God is a merciful God, His mercies are new every morning and endure forever.
For even while we were still sinners, He sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you & I, so that we may be reconciled back to Him. That is really so loving of God to do that, don't you think so?
I call His mercy, the covenant of Grace. For our God never sleeps nor does he slumber: He is continuously watching over you, guiding you, teaching you and always shinning His light upon your path.
O magnify the LORD ye people for He is Good and His mercy endureth forever. What a mighty & awesome God we serve.
Question. Have you accepted His mercy or are still struggling to do things and live on your own strength? Thereby rendering His mercy of no effect in your life!
Realise that,we all need the the mercy of God, for we are totally helpless without it. No amount of your own struggles and efforts will yield long lasting and sustained success. If you try to run the show, you will not get far, you might get a bit of success here, and a bit there. You know; that sort of break through and break down. You surely don't want to be tossed here and about, do you? No.
It is therefore imperative that you let yourself loose, to the divine flow of God's grace and Mercy, and abound in His favour, letting Him show you the way to live successfully.
The First step to take, is to COMPLETELY surrender your life to Him, I can not overemphasise this point, it is the most basic yet powerful way to live; a life completely surrendered to God is a dangerous place for the enemy and is a channel of God's blessing. Seriously, no kidding.
"The Lord is near all those who truly call on Him. Find a place in your heart, and speak there with the Lord. It is the Lord's reception room. Everyone who meets the Lord, meets Him there; He has fixed no other place for meeting souls"
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Kindle and maintain a contrite spirit, a humble and contrite heart. And let God guide you, lead you, and teach you all the days of your life.
Surely goodness and mercy;...
Shall follow me:
There is no question about this step. When you are in Christ and Christ in you(United) goodness and mercy shall follow you, in fact it will even go a head of you and overtake you so much so that your path will be shining brighter and brighter unto a perfect day. For you will be blessed to be a blessing and you always live in the fear of God, being a trail blazer in excellency and witty inventions.
Wherever you go, you will leave an audit trail of goodness and mercy for that will be your signature for the Lord of Hosts is with you wherever you go.
And,...
you will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever:
Again, just like the path of life, this house of the Lord is; the household of FAITH.
"...without faith it is impossible to please him(God). For he that commeth to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" Hebrews 11:6.
As you dwell in this house, victory in every area of your life will be imminent and indeed you present hour reality every day, because, "....this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our FAITH" 1John 5:4.
The word of God was given to us so that we can see and respond from God's perspective. Have the faith of God, that when you speak, it comes to pass. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is at work in you, and it makes you free from the law of sin and death(Romans 8:2). You shall therefore decree a thing and it shall be established unto you.
"There is therefore no more condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
What more can I say,.......... I suppose..., Amen.
Okie, dokie, Why don't you, if you will, say that bit of Psalm 23, i.e Verse 6, as a confession from the depth of your heart, good idea, right?
And this time, add the name of Jesus in it. For the Name of the Lord Jesus by itself disperses everything alien to it and attracts everything akin
Here we go, personalise it;
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 in Jesus' Name.
God bless you and may He perfect all that concerns you today. Speak to you soon, till then, keep walking in the light of God and truly have unforgettable experiences.
And if you have no idea what I am talking about, here is a good place to start: Romans 10:9
Peace & Love
Libs
