Surely Goodness and Mercy

Sometimes, it takes a trial to make us truly grateful for the blessings of God. Thanksgiving week at my house began with an early morning call to 911 and a trip to the emergency room with one parent, while the other was at home, quite ill himself.

Up to that point, my vision of the week had been rushing through three very full schooldays and waking Thursday morning to help my mom prepare the Thanksgiving feast for a houseful. As I sat in the emergency room with my mom,  and heard the doctor tell her she would be on crutches for at least a month, realization dawned on me that this week—and at least three following—would look very different than I had planned.

But even in that moment, I knew there was much to be thankful for. Maybe it was because this all happened the week of Thanksgiving, with last week’s blog post on giving thanks to God fresh in my mind, but instead of disappointment or frustration at the change of plans, I found myself filled with gratitude to the Lord. It seemed His hand of mercy and goodness were on the whole situation, and I knew He had a plan.

The next morning, as I was driving to school feeling very tired from a fitful night’s rest, I turned a corner and was suddenly bathed in the goldeny-pink glow of the most spectacular sunrise I have seen in quite a while!

I’m not sure why, but glorious sunrises always remind me of a passage in Lamentations which says,

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” (3:21-23)

As I drove onwards, that sunrise glowed behind me, and I felt the full truth of the psalmist’s words:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (23:6a)

I have known those words by heart since childhood, but I had always viewed that statement to be future tense, that God’s goodness and mercy would follow me, off in the distance somewhere. But I was reminded this week that the goodness and mercy of the Lord are for all the days of this life.

Every day God’s mercies and compassions are new. Every day God’s great faithfulness is exercised on behalf of all who have trusted Christ for salvation. Every day God is working out the reality of Romans 8:28 in our lives.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

And every day, God’s goodness and mercy follow us, like a sunrise in the rearview mirror, touching everything around and ahead with the rosy glow of God’s lovingkindness.

So as we enter this season of rejoicing over the birth of our Savior, remember to carry with you the reality of God’s sure goodness and mercy. We do not have to wonder if God is with us in our trials. This same Emmanuel who came to dwell with mankind on earth is the One who promised,

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

This is the God of goodness and mercy who is the same

“yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Surely, God’s goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days—each and every day—of our lives.

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.” 

Psalm 107:1