GOODNESS AND MERCY: Anglican Morning Devotion for 23 September 2021 Anno Domini
A ministry of the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Psalms 23:1-6; all scripture quoted is from the King James Version)
All blessings and benefits that accrue to the believer are evidences of that ‘Goodness and Mercy’ granted by the Almighty God to His Elect.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life –
SURELY! Beyond any doubt or question! Even the judgments of God are mercy for His people. His Hand of blessing will follow us everywhere and all the time, even to the end of our earthly journey and, yes, beyond into eternity! Her turns our tribulations into glorious triumph. And His Goodness and Mercy follow us all the days of our lives (which extend beyond the time limits of this world and into the distant eternity future).
I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
We are created for eternity in Christ. Therefore, we will ABIDE with Him in His Paradise FOREVER! The most palatial mansion awaits those who wait upon the Lord. The Home of God is our Home! We will abide there, not as servants, but as sons and daughters forever and forever. All that He owns He has given to His beloved children, but the greatest gift of all will be the fellowship with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, and with God the Father. We shall then eat freely of the fruit of that Tree which was taken from the Garden because of the sin of Adam. We shall dwell together in heavenly places, and love each other and our God.
The depth and beauty of this great Psalm is beyond our complete understanding. Each line is a priceless promise. Our attempts to render all of its majestic beauty from the few short lines of it will always be a humiliating failure for God’s every Word is so pregnant with meaning that the depths of the Sea are insufficient to fathom the fullness thereof. Were the oceans made of ink, as the hymn says, there would not be sufficient to write all the goodness and mercy of God on the scroll of Heaven. This Psalm is like a precious gem, or diamond. When held up to the light, one sees striking rays of gleaming blue. Another will see bold shafts of golden beauty. Another observer, looking at the same stone, will see effulgent white, green or red. Is there a disparity of meaning? Do we see the same stone wrongly? Not at all for God is Light. His Light is White and pure. White Light is composed of every color in the rainbow! It takes all colors combined together to produce white. God is all of those Colors. He provides different glimpses of Himself to each of us according to our present need and ability to see.
May this Trinity Season be one which climaxes in a multitude of gems of new truth and knowledge for everyone who seeks the face of the Lord.
AMEN
