Psalm 23:6a (NKJV): Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…
The word ‘surely’ in this verse is ‘aken’ in Hebrew, which means ‘certainly, truly’. It speaks of a 100% certainty. As you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Shepherd (see Psalm 23:1), you’ll also receive the fullness of His goodness in your life! It’s the Bible that says so. You can receive it because Jesus’ work for you on the cross was full, perfect, and complete! In other words, His work on the cross was 100%! It was a sure work on the cross - perfect, finished, and completed.
Because Jesus is fully God (100% God) and fully man (100% man), He also came to suffer the full brunt of God’s punishment (i.e. God’s wrath against sin) and men’s punishment (i.e. religious laws), so you can now be completely set free!
Have you noticed Jesus never bargained/appealed for a lesser punishment? He just kept silent, and went through it all! He never asked Pontius Pilate to reduce his sentence, nor did He beg the Roman soldiers to whip him lesser. No, He didn't! But He came to suffer the full brunt! And He did it all for you.
On the cross, He was pierced, broken, or ruptured in seven areas of His body (the number ‘seven’ means ‘perfect’), i.e. His head, both His hands, His side (rib), His heart, and both his feet, so that you can be made complete and whole in every area of your life. All in all, it was a perfect sacrifice. Isaiah 53 has all the details. In fact, He was wounded and bruised till there was no more beauty or comeliness in Him (Isaiah 53:2). But He was willing. And He did it all with you in mind.
Even in His sufferings on the cross, He still thought of others, instead of bringing others’ attention to Himself or His pain! When one of the criminals beside Him said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42), Jesus still cared for him (in spite of His excruciating pain and breathlessness), and He answered, “…today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Not just that, He also thought of Mary (His earthly mother) and John (His beloved disciple) in the midst of His suffering (John 19:25-27). You know what all these mean? In His suffering, you were also in His mind! In fact, He thinks of you all the time. That’s how precious you are to Him!
So, why settle for less when Jesus has already given you all (i.e. 100%) on the cross? When He gives, somebody’s got to receive it, and that person’s got to be you! On the cross, He has already redeemed you from every lack (that’s why He is called ‘Jehovah Jireh’), and on the cross, He has also redeemed you from every sickness (and that’s why He is called ‘Jehovah Rapha’). In fact, He has already redeemed you from every form of curse! So, how can He not be 100% good to you? Surely, He is altogether good to you, all the time!
Of course God has also given us all free choice. The choices you make are like ‘magnets’ that either attract ‘light’ or ‘darkness’, in and around your life. Choose then to focus on His goodness. David had this revelation when he wrote Psalm 23, and he knew ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life’. You can too, by setting your mind on His goodness. This is how important your mind (thought) is. Let me give you an example: ‘Flowers’ attract ‘butterflies’, but ‘rubbish’ attract ‘flies’. If your thought is filled with ‘flowers’, you’ll attract ‘butterflies’, yes, even ‘spiritual butterflies’, i.e. angels to work for you and minister to you, even bringing many ‘goodies’ to you! But the opposite is also true with ‘rubbish’ in your mind! That’s how it works in the spiritual realm. But as you focus more and more on His goodness for you, those irritating ‘flies’ (whatever these may be) will eventually have to leave you!
So, why settle for less when Jesus has already given you all (i.e. 100%) on the cross? When He gives, somebody’s got to receive it, and that person’s got to be you! On the cross, He has already redeemed you from every lack (that’s why He is called ‘Jehovah Jireh’), and on the cross, He has also redeemed you from every sickness (and that’s why He is called ‘Jehovah Rapha’). In fact, He has already redeemed you from every form of curse! So, how can He not be 100% good to you? Surely, He is altogether good to you, all the time!
Of course God has also given us all free choice. The choices you make are like ‘magnets’ that either attract ‘light’ or ‘darkness’, in and around your life. Choose then to focus on His goodness. David had this revelation when he wrote Psalm 23, and he knew ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life’. You can too, by setting your mind on His goodness. This is how important your mind (thought) is. Let me give you an example: ‘Flowers’ attract ‘butterflies’, but ‘rubbish’ attract ‘flies’. If your thought is filled with ‘flowers’, you’ll attract ‘butterflies’, yes, even ‘spiritual butterflies’, i.e. angels to work for you and minister to you, even bringing many ‘goodies’ to you! But the opposite is also true with ‘rubbish’ in your mind! That’s how it works in the spiritual realm. But as you focus more and more on His goodness for you, those irritating ‘flies’ (whatever these may be) will eventually have to leave you!
People of God, I boldly declare that He is 100% good to you! He isn’t just 98% (or whatever other percentage) good to you. Psalm 23:6 says so. Never mind about the past ‘not-so-good’ experiences you may have, but from now on, why not begin to really take God at His Word? As you continue to look to Him as your Shepherd (Jehovah Raah), surely His goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life. Believing this, and you’ll receive. Amen!
