PASTOR'S CORNER

Resting In The Goodness And Mercy Of God

Welcome to a new month. This month as we prepare for a warm and fun-filled summer, I would like us to pause and reflect on the goodness and mercy of God. Psalm 23:5-6 says…’Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Goodness: virtue; excellence; especially moral; kindness, generosity.
Mercy: compassion or forbearance shown to enemies or offenders in one’s power
Grace: unmerited favour of God: a divine saving and strengthening influence
Oxford English Reference Dictionary.
Ephesians 2:4-6 says, ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith loved us. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus….’ James 5:11 says, ‘…the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.’
One of the things that I have remarked in the scriptures is that God’s mercy is always referred to as ‘tender’. In other words ‘loving, affectionate.’ God is selfless in His concern for us and is more than willing to embrace us. We must rest assured that His mercy endures, inspite of us. However, He would not intrude in our lives, so we need to give Him access to our life. We must:
show mercy to others (Matthew 5:7 ‘…Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy…’)
be humble and acknowledge our transgressions
be willing to receive from God
be willing to submit to God’s authority
acknowledge that we need His goodness
offer thanks and praise
exalt His holy name above all else
be willing to operate in God’s purpose for us

Proverbs 28:13 says, ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ Isaiah 55:7 says ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’

Psalm 23 reveals to us that God generously shares His wealth with us, be it health, spiritual growth, financial success, etc. God’s goodness and mercy never end. The psalmist says, ‘goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…’ Therefore when God focuses on you, He does so for eternity. He does so much for us regardless of whether we ask for it or deserve it. This psalm also reminds us that when God’s goodness follows us, we dwell in God’s presence forever. In His presence we enjoy excellent health; peace of mind; protection; joy and success. God will guide us and keep us from harm. We will excel beyond our ability because we dwell in the secret place of the Most High.

Isaiah 63:7, 9 says ‘I will mention the lovingkindness of the Lord…in his love and in his pity he redeemed them…’ As revealed in Romans 9:15 ‘His mercy can be neither earned nor controlled. He extends these at His will. He is trustworthy and fulfils His promises. Any issue, which we are ill-equipped to deal with, requires God’s intervention and by yielding wholly to Him, we discover what His perfect will for us is.

The evidence of God’s generosity towards us is seen in the quality of our life. God’s bounty has no limit and we partake of His unconditional blessings; the Jabez blessing. In I Chronicles 4:10 Jabez prayed a prayer, for a blessing, which included a request for God’s hand to remain with him so that his new-found blessings would not harm him. We sometimes forget that we need God’s mercy and His benevolence even when we reach what we perceive to be the pinnacle of our success.

In summary, the goodness and mercy of the Almighty endures forever and are renewed daily, therefore there is no limit to how much we can receive. It is the unconditional mercy of God, which refuses to see us as sinners; the disobedient children that we can be. Mercy says ‘inspite of it all I will come to your aid.’

Walking in God’s goodness and mercy transforms us and makes us extraordinary. It also enables us to cultivate a soul-enriching and rewarding relationship with our Heavenly Father. Remember that this relationship will promote us; enable us to excel in life; give us the necessary impetus for accelerated growth and guide us to our destiny.

God’s goodness and mercy endure forever. Even in our weakness, His mercy supports us and it is our privilege to call on Him. Psalm 61:2 says ‘…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I….’ During times of unrest we must rely on the everlasting mercy of our Heavenly Father. When no words seem appropriate, ‘kyrie eleison’ will suffice; Lord have mercy.

Until next month, abide in God’s will; may the grace of God keep you; may His mercy be renewed each day and His goodness abound in your life.

Pastor Tai Adeshugba