Psalm 23:6 (KJV)
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.”
9April, 2014
I
INTRODUCTION: King David in this much-loved Psalm
gives us an insight to a life lived well. He gives us the secret to happy life,
a happy death and now a happy eternity. David concludes our Psalm for this
Lenten season by reminding us: “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 (KJV) How can we be assured of a happy eternity? By this verse David
gives two directions of thought; the preservation of our life and a place of
eternal security.
I. David assures us of the Preservation of our life
– “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”
- “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me...” Goodness – God’s goodness consists
of righteousness, holiness, justice, kindness, grace and love. Goodness is
also one of the fruits of the Spirit which characterizes Christian
behavior. {Galatians 5:22} Christians are called to goodness even as
God the Father is perfect and good. Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew:
"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
There is a problem, however; you know the
problem. It’s a problem found in all of us. It’s a problem with sin. Because of
our sinful nature our goodness fails to measure up to the Father’s standard of
perfection. What are we to do?
- We trust in the mercy of
Almighty God. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me...” What
is the mercy of God? Mercy is that aspect of God’s love,
which causes Him to help those who are miserable. Those who are miserable
may be so either because they have broken God’s law or because they find
themselves in circumstances beyond their control.
What are we to do when we find ourselves to be in
such circumstances? We rely and fall upon the Savior’s amazing grace, which, of
course, is that aspect of God’s love that moves Him to forgive those who are
guilty.
God shows mercy on those who have broken His
law. Daniel 9:9 reminds us: “To the Lord our God belong compassion and
forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him”
God’s mercy is given to us although it is
undeserved. Paul reminds us in Romans 9:16: “So then it does not depend on
the man who wills or the man who runs, but on god who has mercy.” No
wonder we cry out to god when we pray the Kyrie: “Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.”
Especially when we poor sinners find ourselves
in circumstances beyond our control the Savior reaches down to us with His
mercy. Jesus had mercy when He healed the blind men {Matthew 9:27-31; 20:29-34}
and when He cleansed the lepers. {Luke 17:11-19} Because God is
merciful, He expects us, His children to be merciful. “Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall receive mercy”
Jesus says in Matthew 5:7 In James 1:27 we are
reminded: “This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of god our
Father; to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself
unstained by the world”
Transition:
Not only will the Good Shepherd provide for the preservation of our lives; He
will also bring us to a place where we will live and reign with Him.
II. The Good Shepherd gives us a place of eternal
security.
A. David reminds us: “...and I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever.”
United by God’s election and salvation through
Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd we are included in the Father’s household of
faith. St. Paul explains it this way:
“So them, while we have opportunity let
us do good to all men – especially those of the household of faith”
(Galatians 6:10)
“We will dwell with God in heaven, the
dwelling place of God; the dwelling place of the righteous” (Ephesians
2:19)
CONCLUSION: This is how the Good Shepherd shares the secrets of a
happy eternity; in goodness, mercy, and security.
Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of Your Church, You give us new birth
in the waters of baptism, You anoint us with oil, and call us to salvation at
Your table. Dispel the terrors of death and the darkness of error. Lead Your
people along safe paths, that they may rest securely in You and dwell in the
house of the Lord now and forever, for Your name's’ sake. Amen
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