“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever”

What does “goodness and mercy” mean to you?

Mercy – forgiveness of appropriate punishment, not getting what I deserve, escaping justice.

Goodness – is difficult to define, perfect rightness, what is best, beneficial or nourishing, the opposite of evil (that malevolent presence in this world that takes delight in causing pain and suffering).

Post-modernists would dismiss goodness as merely being what is preferred by the local tribe, but that is only because they define it as the life of luxury the world desires. But sensible people have always seen good and evil to be absolute realities in the world. We can sense goodness as having a definite existence when we choose to do something that is not to our advantage, but it is what is right or brings healing.
True goodness is elusive as it does not appear to be “natural” to mankind. Natural man tends to descend to the level of the humour of W C Fields, whose most famous philosophy was, “Never give a sucker an even break.”

Although it may not be part of man’s nature, the recognition of goodness and the desire for it, and the shame of not possessing it, seems to be a tendency for all mankind. So we then recognize goodness as an external reality, which leads us to an awareness of God, the source of all that is perfectly good.

When we trust in the Lord, the blessing of His goodness may not bring the wealth, power, physical security, health, happiness, or pleasure, that the character portrayed by W C Fields desires, but it does bring a serenity that worldly desires can never bring. His goodness is a rock to carry us through the turmoil of this life, and it leads us to a willingness to share it. His mercy frees us from the endless strife and pain that our world tumbles into, which we deserve.

The ultimate example of God’s perfect goodness was in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, to save us from the just penalty of our sin.
And to “dwell in the house of the lord” was promised by Jesus in John 14:2, he said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” God’s blessing and presence in Jesus never ends, not even death can divide us.

May I be content as I seek to know God’s path for my life.