T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far
And Grace will lead us home
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Ps. 23:6)
Kindness and unfailing love will chase after the believer every day of his life until he takes up permanent residence with the Lord in His house forever. God, in His grace and mercy, pursues His people with kindness and compassion, good will and benevolence. God is all that is good. He lives in holy perfection. His beloved Son personified unfathomable love and tender mercy. Jesus took upon Himself every sin ever committed by every person. Psalm 23 likens Jesus to a Shepherd, protecting and providing for His sheep. He is gentle of heart, extending tender mercy and kindness to His wanton and afflicted sheep. He is literally chasing them with kindness, charity, compassion—His never-ending love.
Affliction and trouble will oppose us while we are on earth. How else could we do the work of God and grow in faith? Without the rain, how could we appreciate the sun? The ground becomes dry and thirsty when there is no rain. Without trials, we could not exercise faith and hope, trusting Him to provide for and protect us. Without the testing of our faith, we could not appreciate the faithfulness of our Lord. The rain brings forth lush green grass and fragrant flowers and trials blossom into faith and hope. We need both the hard times and the good if we are to understand what it means to fix our eyes on our eternal home. In heaven, we will no longer need sunshine or trials to grow in faith and hope. In heaven, God Himself is the light (Rev. 21). On earth, we will have tribulations, but we can be of good cheer, for this is not our home. We know that the day will come when we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Do you believe God is chasing you with His never-ending love? Sometimes it is hard to believe that He has your welfare and happiness in mind, especially during a storm. Yet, this theme is consistent throughout the Bible. Your all-knowing Creator carefully designs the troubles you encounter on earth to increase your faith and hope in Him as you learn to rely on Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Won’t you let today’s toils and snares become sources of joy and fruitfulness by the grace of God? Today is the day to set your will to allow the earthly disappointments to become heavenly appointments. Accept the rain today that you might become His fragrant blossom tomorrow. “‘Twas grace that brought us safe thus far and grace will lead us home.”