Who Are Your Followers?
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Have you ever felt as if you’re being followed by an embarrassing moment or mistake? Maybe you made a misstep that now seems to define you. Or perhaps you misspoke and now you worry that everyone’s perception of you is skewed because of that one unfortunate or unfiltered moment.
Sometimes it’s hard to live down our failures, isn’t it? They shake us when we least expect it and the enemy uses them to defeat us. Right? The sense of guilt and shame wash over us and we’re right back in that moment, feeling powerless and condemned. That’s how Satan wants us to feel and he’ll use our weaknesses to bring us down.
Are our sons and daughters struggling in this? Here’s the thing, if we, as parents, are not healthy in how we deal with our failures and faults, it’s likely our sons and daughters will struggle with it too. If we’re constantly reliving our failures, we’re failing to live in the goodness of God.
Scripture doesn’t tell us our mistakes will follow us forever, no, in fact, it tells us just the opposite!! Surely (for sure, absolutely, without a doubt) goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!! All the days… goodness and mercy won’t just follow seasonally, they’re year-round! They won’t ever run out- the supply is endless! And their ability to meet our needs won’t wear out or fall short- they’re as steady and as powerful as God’s faithfulness. His goodness and mercy are part of his perfect character.
Here’s the thing, if we’re living in defeat, we’re putting too much emphasis on our ability to be ‘good’. If we’re living in defeat, we’re setting a poor example for our sons and daughters!
It’s not our goodness that we’re dependent on- if that were the case, we’d all be doomed. No, it’s God’s goodness and mercy, ever-present and all-sufficient. Not only does God promise us His goodness and mercy, but He also promises an eternal home in His house. Friends, we are SO loved and cared for!! Let’s camp out on those promises today and then use them to encourage our sons and daughters!!
Take some time today to share this verse with our sons and daughters and remind them of God’s goodness. In this crazy world that seems to be turning upside down, our God is the one constant, reliable Source of goodness that we can always depend on. Remind them that we have a Heavenly Father who is watching over them and following them anywhere and everywhere they go. They will never outpace His goodness and mercy, they’ll never reach the end of it and they will never exhaust the supply. It is all-sufficient and eternal.
Today, let’s pray that God’s goodness and mercy are evident to our sons and daughters...and to us.
“Lord, thank You for your never-ending goodness that You provide each day. Thank You too, for Your mercy, we don’t deserve it, yet you provide it daily because You love us. Help us to see your goodness today. Remind us of how you love and treasure us. I pray that (name) would be encouraged by your goodness today, so much so that they pay special attention to what You’re doing in their life and on their behalf. Help us not to dwell on our shortcomings. Help us to confess them and move on in your goodness and mercy. Lord, we can’t really comprehend the scope of Your goodness, but we know that it is sufficient for us. Help us to hold on to that promise that it will follow us ALL the days of our life. Thank You Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.