Surely Goodness and Mercy

A pilgrim was I, and a wandering,
In the cold night of sin I did roam,
When Jesus the kind Shepherd found me,
And now I am on my way home.

Chorus:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,
And I shall feast at the table spread for me;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.

Verse 2:
He restoreth my soul when I’m weary,
He giveth me strength day by day;
He leads me beside the still waters,
He guards me each step of the way.

Verse 3:
When I walk through the dark lonesome valley,
My savior will walk with me there;
And safely His great hand will lead me
To the mansions He’s gone to prepare.

It doesn’t take a Doctor of Divinity to recognize the Biblical inspiration to this great song. The co-authors of this great song, John Peterson and Alfred Smith, used Psalm 23 as the clear inspiration for this hymn, and they have beautifully expounded on David’s words, and have put these great words to music.  I have attached a link to a version of the song sung at a Billy Graham crusade from 1967 by George Beverly Shea:

The authors of this hymn wrote these words in 1958.  Mr. Peterson was 37 years old and Mr. Smith was 42 years old at the time – what some might call the “prime of their life” while others might say they were still a little “wet behind the ears.”  In my hymn devotional, “Amazing Grace” by Kenneth Osbeck, he notes that the authors were still alive when his devotion was published in 1990, but they both have since passed away.   John Peterson passed away in 2006, and Alfred Smith passed away in 2001.  Both men were 85 years old when they died.  Ken Osbeck’s book did not have many details about Mr. Peterson or Mr. Smith’s personal background.  I wondered to myself – Does their testimony in the 1950’s in the prime of their life that “goodness and mercy would follow them all the days of their lives” carry as much meaning as someone who has lived to their 80’s or 90’s?  Can someone testify in their early years of the truth of Psalm 23 – that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life?  The answer to that  question is a resounding “Yes.”  Why?  Because our faith in God is not based solely on our experience.  Yes, we will go through high’s and lows in this life, and yes, God will show Himself faithful during all periods of life.  But the truth of Scripture remains true whether we have fully experienced it or not.  These two men could testify to goodness and mercy being part of their lives at any age because they were confident in the truth of God’s Holy Word.

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “The cold night of sin I did roam” – I have heard sin referred to as “dark” but I don’t remember sin being “cold.”  But when you think about it, there is a “coldness” that results from sin.  First, sin creates separation from God.  It creates distance from God, and just as distance from a human being can create a “coolness” in a relationship, distance from God caused by sin can also create that coolness.  There is also a “coldness” of the heart that results from repeated sin.  Have you ever heard someone say “He is “cold-hearted.”  It means that he is losing or lost his sense for human kindness and compassion.  Sin can put someone in a place of darkness and coldness. 

• “When Jesus the kind shepherd found me” – Because of Jesus’ words found in John 10, we often times hear Him referred to as the Good Shepherd.  But I like to think about Jesus being the Kind Shepherd as well. Chris Tomlin has a great chorus that says “It’s your kindness Lord that leads us to repentance.”  It’s the kindness of the Good Shepherd that seeks us, saves us, nurses us back to health, and brings us home.  Here are a few encouraging verses about God’s kindness:

Psalm 31:21 “Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!”

Psalm 117:2 “For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Titus 3:4-6 “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior”

Finally, I wanted to comment a little on a phrase in the last verse of the song – “When I walk through the dark lonesome valley…”  This past Sunday, several folks from our church went to visit some residents at the Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center also known as the Bradley County Nursing Home.  Some of our children played songs for the residents on piano, violin and the guitar, and then we had the opportunity to sing a few hymns with them.

For some, places like this can be “lonesome valleys.”  For some residents, they don’t receive many visitors.  Some residents aren’t physically able to leave their rooms.  Some rooms are filled with people with many, many health problems.  Some might even question “Where is God in this particular “lonesome valley?”  Well, can I tell you that God is there.  His grace is there as exhibited by the kindness of the nursing staff.  I saw a nurse help a lady into a chair, and tenderly fix her hair.  His goodness is there when the people of God come and visit the residents, and share the love of Jesus – “when I was sick, you visited me.”  And His presence is there too.  As we were singing some of these old hymns, I watched as the residents sang about God’s Amazing Grace.  I saw them tear up when they sang about the Victory in Jesus. The lyrics and tunes of these great hymns have been buried deep in the recesses of their minds.  In a wonderful way, God has deeply planted the truth of His Word into their hearts and minds through these old hymns.

I am thankful today that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.  No matter where that path my lead.  No matter what the outward circumstances looks like.  The truth of His Word remains – “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!!!