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. Psalms 23:6 KJV
There is a certainty attached to all of God's promises. If God says it, then you know you have the backing of the only Power in the world, with all others mere pretenders. There is a confidence that God's Word gives, when you consider the words in Hebrews where Paul says God swore by Himself that He will bless Abraham. And we know how that promise turned out. So, there are lots of precedents that give us assurance that as long as God has said a thing, God's nature is such that He will not waste words or joke with what He has said.
So, here I read another promise by God that his nature, which includes goodness and mercy, shall follow me. Before I jump at the promise, have I placed myself in a podtkono position where his goodness and mercy can follow me? Do I keep at the front of my heart that God's eyes are too pure to behold iniquity? Do I remind myself daily that my walk with God must be preserved as holy? A daily consciousness of what God demands from me will keep me away from sin and keep me in the light of God's nature.
The verses before this one also tell me how I can align with the promises made. Is God my shepherd, or do I have other masters who dictate terms for me? Is He the one leading me where He wants me to go, or are there competing voices all shouting to be heard and who determine what is important for me? Am I open to his correction and instruction by his rod and staff? Quite easy to claim the promises and conveniently forget the conditions that make it possible for the promises to apply. God is not a magician with a pause and play button, who performs for my entertainment. He is the God who demands total surrender to His instructions if I will enjoy his investments.
And when I go in the consciousness that God is there for me always, the only response is for me to dwell in His presence all the days of my life. When I know that God has my back, I can face the world and all its challenges and pains, because I am assured that this present earthly phase is just what it is: a phase. Death is therefore not the ending as most people think, but the path into the fullness of today's extract. Physical death is but an appointment all of us must keep if the Lord tarries long enough, but what happens when you open your eyes in eternity becomes your eternal reality.
While I am down here, I live in the daily consciousness that I am walking and working towards my eternal dwelling. By my daily choices, I am preparing for my home with God. Would I want to live on the altar of church down here and have no place in eternal dwellings? Would I want to gain the whole world and be celebrated down here, while heaven has no record of my life or service to God? If I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, I must start to prepare for it right now. Is my present pursuit headed towards eternal life? His time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment