“Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).
One cannot be mistaken for any misrepresentation or assumption when the over-whelming satanic influence on our society is stated. The avalanche of wickedness; pestilence, misfortune and evil occurrence in our today’s world is on the higher scale.
Nevertheless, those who put their trust in the Lord are indeed as stable as Mount Zion, shielded by God’s covenant of goodness and mercy. They live by the daily bestowal of divine favour, consecrated and sanctified in God’s grace, mercy, and surrounded by His goodness.
Surely, His goodness and mercy shall follow them that live in His covenant of mercy and assurance. Assurance here is a divine and undoubted promise that carries the aura of certainty and conviction of fulfilment. For instance, out of our text above (Psalm 23:6) affirms the certainty of God’s goodness, love and mercy towards His people. It also refers to the covenant benefits which are as sure as the faithfulness of God.
From the New Testament perspective, assurance is a proof giving grounds for certainty. This is illustrated in Act 17:31 where the Apostle Paul refers to Jesus’ resurrection as one which gives assurance and proof that He will judge the world. Most often in the New Testament also, assurance gives us a sense of blessed hope and certainty of our salvation. Believers enjoy the riches of assurance understanding (Col. 2:2).
We, therefore, stand firm on the solid strength of assurance to pry into the realms of His consecration and bliss (the blessed assurance). We live in the certainty of His goodness, mercy, protection and provisions of life. We also approach God in assured faith (Heb.10:22), and this correspondingly gives impetus to the preaching of the gospel in full assurance.
The dual implication of “assured faith” is that: through it, God testifies that the gospel is His truth and that believers are His own very children. Second, by the same object of assurance, we are brought to the basic knowledge that God protects us, so that we might attain the full height of our salvation. This salvation does not depend on our effort; God is rather the author. God, who has begun the good work of salvation in us, also provides the necessary assurance to bring His work to a perfect completion on the day of Christ (Phil.6, Rom. 8:29-30).
Surely, that which God has started in your life must be brought to a perfect completion. It does not really matter how long your expectation has lingered unfulfilled. God is not done with you yet. His promises assure us of the certainty of His visitation. In any situation you are, there is assurance of God’s accompanied presence (1 Cor. 10:13-14). You are not alone in your journey of life and destiny walk. You surely walk in the full path of His presence.
Friends, as you identify with the power of Christ in the resurrection, you will experience the full value of assured faith. This faith does not proceed out of emptiness, but out of the assurance of God’s participation in our personal and co-operate affairs.
– This is your season of blessed assurance.
– Doubts and probability concepts are inconsequential and of no import to your situation.
– This is because the fulfilment of your dreams is not rested on probability, but on possibility and certainty.
– This season has come with the certainty of your promotion.
– The season has come with the assurance of your healing.
– Surely, it is a season of your miracle and breakthrough, a season to break-forth into goodness.
– Your protection and safety are surely rested on the fold and pillar of His grace.
The full manifestation of the entire package listed above is contingent upon the principle of obedience and sincere faith in Christ, the Chief Shepherd of our lives.
The full essence of our synopsis above is captured by the hymn writer, Mrs. Joseph F. Knapp, when she composed this melodious song:
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Saviour am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.