Finding Peace: God's Goodness, Grace, and Glory
Summary
Psalm 23:6 offers profound assurance for those who struggle with anxiety about the future. It reminds us that as believers, we are never alone. God's goodness and mercy are constant companions, following us all the days of our lives. This verse provides three compelling reasons to cast aside fear of the future. First, God's goodness is always watching over us. He is attentive to every detail of our lives, protecting us from unseen dangers and guiding us through life's challenges. This divine attention is not limited by the vastness of humanity; God is capable of giving each of us His undivided attention.
Second, God's grace is actively working within us. His mercy, which is grace in action, ensures that we receive what we do not deserve and are spared from what we do deserve. This duality of grace and mercy means that we can expect both provision and pardon from God. We are constantly in need of forgiveness, and God's mercy is ever-present, allowing us to approach Him with our failures without fear of rejection.
Finally, God's glory is waiting for us. The promise of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever assures us that death is not the end but a transition to a life of eternal joy and peace. Heaven is a place where God's glory is fully revealed, and we will experience His presence in ways beyond our current understanding. This hope of eternal life with God diminishes the fear of death and gives us confidence in the face of life's uncertainties.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's Constant Attention: God's goodness is always watching over us, ensuring that we are never alone. He is attentive to every detail of our lives, protecting us from unseen dangers and guiding us through life's challenges. This divine attention is not limited by the vastness of humanity; God is capable of giving each of us His undivided attention. [01:02]
2. Grace in Action: God's grace is actively working within us, providing mercy that ensures we receive what we do not deserve and are spared from what we do deserve. This duality of grace and mercy means that we can expect both provision and pardon from God. We are constantly in need of forgiveness, and God's mercy is ever-present, allowing us to approach Him with our failures without fear of rejection. [09:28]
3. Eternal Assurance: The promise of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever assures us that death is not the end but a transition to a life of eternal joy and peace. Heaven is a place where God's glory is fully revealed, and we will experience His presence in ways beyond our current understanding. This hope of eternal life with God diminishes the fear of death and gives us confidence in the face of life's uncertainties. [22:54]
4. God's Mercy and Forgiveness: We all have habitual sins and areas where we stumble repeatedly. God's mercy is such that He never tires of forgiving us. His mercy follows us every day, and He loves to show it. We can come to Him without embarrassment, knowing that He is always ready to forgive and restore us. [16:37]
5. Living Without Fear: Understanding that God's goodness, grace, and glory are involved in our future allows us to live without fear. These truths are antidotes to our greatest fears, providing us with confidence and peace. When we acknowledge the Lord as our shepherd, we can rest assured that His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. [30:42]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Overcoming Fear of the Future
- [00:29] - God's Goodness Watching Over Us
- [01:02] - God's Attention to Our Lives
- [02:07] - Protection Through Angels
- [04:16] - A Story of Divine Intervention
- [06:26] - Understanding God's Goodness
- [08:53] - God's Grace Working in Us
- [09:28] - Difference Between Goodness and Mercy
- [12:28] - The Nature of God's Mercy
- [14:33] - Accessing God's Mercy
- [17:07] - The Sheepdogs of Goodness and Mercy
- [19:38] - God's Consistent Goodness and Mercy
- [21:50] - God's Glory Waiting for Us
- [27:16] - The Promise of Heaven
- [30:09] - Implications for Our Lives
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 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."
2. Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
3. Psalm 91:11 - "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Psalm 23:6, what are the two things that will follow believers all the days of their lives? How does this provide comfort? [00:29]
2. In the sermon, how does the pastor describe God's attention to our lives despite the vastness of humanity? [01:02]
3. What role do angels play in God's protection over us, as mentioned in the sermon? [02:34]
4. How does the pastor illustrate the concept of God's goodness bringing good out of bad situations? Can you recall a specific example he shared? [06:54]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the promise of God's goodness and mercy following us all our lives change the way we view our daily challenges and fears? [06:26]
2. What does the pastor mean when he says that God's grace is "working in us"? How does this relate to the concept of mercy? [09:28]
3. How does the assurance of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever impact a believer's perspective on death and the afterlife? [22:54]
4. In what ways does the pastor suggest that God's glory is waiting for us, and how does this provide hope for the future? [21:50]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt anxious about the future. How can the assurance of God's goodness and mercy following you change your perspective on that situation? [00:11]
2. The pastor mentioned that God's grace is actively working within us. Identify an area in your life where you need to experience God's grace and mercy. How can you invite God into that area this week? [09:28]
3. Consider the concept of angels as protectors. How does this idea influence your understanding of God's protection in your life? Have you ever experienced a situation where you felt divinely protected? [02:34]
4. The sermon emphasized that God's glory is waiting for us in heaven. How does this promise affect your daily life and decisions? What steps can you take to live with an eternal perspective? [21:50]
5. The pastor shared a story about God's goodness bringing good out of a bad situation. Can you think of a personal experience where you saw God bring good out of a difficult circumstance? How did that impact your faith? [06:54]
6. How can you remind yourself daily of God's constant attention and care for you, especially during times of fear or uncertainty? [01:02]
7. The pastor mentioned habitual sins and God's endless mercy. Identify a habitual sin in your life. What practical steps can you take to seek God's mercy and overcome it? [16:37]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Unwavering Vigilance
God's goodness is a constant presence in our lives, ensuring that we are never alone. He is attentive to every detail, protecting us from unseen dangers and guiding us through life's challenges. This divine attention is not limited by the vastness of humanity; God is capable of giving each of us His undivided attention. This assurance allows us to cast aside fear of the future, knowing that we are under the watchful eye of a loving God. [01:02]
Psalm 121:3-4 (ESV): "He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to trust more in God's vigilant care? How can you remind yourself of His constant presence today?
Day 2: The Duality of Grace and Mercy
God's grace is actively working within us, providing mercy that ensures we receive what we do not deserve and are spared from what we do deserve. This duality of grace and mercy means that we can expect both provision and pardon from God. We are constantly in need of forgiveness, and God's mercy is ever-present, allowing us to approach Him with our failures without fear of rejection. This understanding of grace in action encourages us to live with confidence in God's provision and forgiveness. [09:28]
Titus 3:5 (ESV): "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."
Reflection: Identify a recent failure or sin in your life. How can you approach God today, trusting in His grace and mercy to forgive and restore you?
Day 3: The Promise of Eternal Glory
The promise of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever assures us that death is not the end but a transition to a life of eternal joy and peace. Heaven is a place where God's glory is fully revealed, and we will experience His presence in ways beyond our current understanding. This hope of eternal life with God diminishes the fear of death and gives us confidence in the face of life's uncertainties. [22:54]
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV): "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
Reflection: How does the promise of eternal life with God change your perspective on current challenges or fears? What steps can you take to focus more on the eternal rather than the temporary?
Day 4: The Ever-Present Mercy of God
We all have habitual sins and areas where we stumble repeatedly. God's mercy is such that He never tires of forgiving us. His mercy follows us every day, and He loves to show it. We can come to Him without embarrassment, knowing that He is always ready to forgive and restore us. This understanding of God's mercy encourages us to live without fear of rejection, knowing that we are always welcome in His presence. [16:37]
Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Reflection: What habitual sin or struggle do you need to bring before God today, trusting in His unfailing mercy? How can you remind yourself of His new mercies each morning?
Day 5: Living Fearlessly in God's Care
Understanding that God's goodness, grace, and glory are involved in our future allows us to live without fear. These truths are antidotes to our greatest fears, providing us with confidence and peace. When we acknowledge the Lord as our shepherd, we can rest assured that His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. This assurance empowers us to face life's uncertainties with courage and trust in God's perfect plan. [30:42]
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Reflection: What specific fear or anxiety do you need to surrender to God today? How can you actively trust in His goodness and mercy to guide you through it?
Quotes
Sure, here are 12 spiritually significant quotes from the sermon transcript:
"Do you know that God in his goodness is always paying attention to you? Did you know that you've never had a second of your life God was not watching you? God is always paying attention to you. Why? Because he created you to love you and he's a good God. So how in the world can God be interested in me? There's seven and a half billion people in the world. The God who created trillions of stars can surely care about 7 billion people all at the same time. You don't understand how big God is if you don't understand that God can pay 100% attention to you while paying 100% attention to everybody else too. He's God." [00:56:55]
"God's goodness is watching over he doesn't miss any details and not only does he watch over you he actually protects you. You are protected from thousands of things you don't even know you missed, accidents that you could have gotten into, problems that you could have created, decisions that you made and God said 'No we're not going to let the consequences of that one happen right now.'" [02:09:40]
"Surely goodness will follow me all the days of my life. What does that mean? Well, it doesn't mean that only good things will happen to you. Obviously, that's not true. A lot of bad things happen, a lot of disappointments happen. David had bad things happen to him, the guy who wrote this. It doesn't mean only good things will happen to me. When the Bible says surely goodness will God's goodness will follow me every day of my life, it means that God will ensure that good will come out of everything that happens to me, even the bad stuff. That's the promise." [06:21:59]
"God's grace is working in me while goodness is working around me and it's watching out for me. God's grace is working in me at that moment. The Bible says 'Surely not just goodness but mercy will follow me all the days of my life.' What is mercy? Mercy is grace in action, that's what it is. And so when I say God's grace is working in me, I'm talking about his mercy. It's grace in action." [09:06:24]
"Grace is when God gives me what I don't deserve. What's mercy? It's the exact opposite. Mercy is when God doesn't give me what I do deserve. That's right, when God doesn't give me what I do deserve. All the stuff, all the ways I've been mean, I've been wrong, I've sinned, I've failed, I've flubbed up, I've made mistakes, I've been self-centered. I deserve punishment for that, I deserve discipline for that, I deserve retribution for that." [10:39:12]
"God never gets tired of forgiving you. Never, never, never. His mercy follows you every day of your life. It is God's nature to be merciful. He loves to show his mercy. He doesn't get tired of it, he doesn't get bored with it, he doesn't get frustrated that you keep coming back. God loves showing mercy so you don't have to come embarrassed." [16:27:36]
"Mercy will follow me all the days of my life. If you're taking notes, circle that word 'all' because God's goodness and God's mercy is not just some days. God doesn't say 'Okay on Monday, Wednesday, Friday we'll have goodness and on Tuesday and Thursday we'll have, uh, you know, mercy and on Saturday and Sunday you're on your own.' Always, no, he is always merciful every moment of every day." [19:39:04]
"When you fully understand that God is never not good to me and God is never not merciful to me, when you face your future all of a sudden your fear level goes down. You go 'So what? I don't, you don't know what's going to happen next week, much less next year or in the next 10 years, but I do know this: God's goodness will be with me and he'll be bringing good even out of the bad stuff.'" [20:03:36]
"I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That's heaven. Now, if you're taking notes, circle that little word 'and.' Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That's the little word that connects today with tomorrow. Even after you've lived a life of blessing here on earth, it's not the end." [21:21:48]
"Because death is not the end, it's a transition, it's a transfer. We're going to heaven. God saves the best for last. If you love and know Jesus, if the Lord is your shepherd, it just gets better and better because even if I have a tough life here on earth, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever where there is no more sorrow, no more suffering, no more sin, no more sickness, no more sadness, no more problems, no more pain, no more pressure." [22:41:92]
"We cannot imagine all the details of heaven, but we know do know this: it will be glorious. Why? Because God's glory will be there in its full completion. Here's what the Bible says, look on the screen 1 Corinthians 2:9: 'No eye has ever seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has ever imagined.' You can't even imagine what God has prepared for those who love him." [26:01:12]
"God wanted to reveal his abundant glory. God wanted to show how loving, how good, how kind, how merciful he is. God wanted to show it and so he wanted to show his abundant glory which was poured out on us, that's you, that's me, who are the objects of his mercy. You, my friend, are an object of God's mercy as a woman or as a man. You are an object of God's mercy. He doesn't give you what you deserve." [28:25:76]
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