Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Psalm 23:6

I can still hear the melody.

I remember the person who used to sing “Surely Goodness and Mercy” when I was growing up. At the time, they were just familiar lyrics set to a comforting tune. But today, those words carry a deeper weight. They resonate with the living hope that belongs to every Christian—not only for this life, but for the life to come.

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.

What a beautiful picture of grace. We were wandering. He came looking. The Good Shepherd found us.

And now?

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life…

Those words echo Psalm 23 and remind us that we are not chasing God’s goodness—His goodness and mercy are pursuing us. Every ordinary day. Every difficult season.

The song continues:

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,
And I shall feast at the table spread for me…

This is more than poetic lyrics. It is a promise. God’s intentions toward His children are good. The Shepherd who sought and saved us also sustains us—and He is preparing something far greater than anything we experience here.

David wrote with confidence, “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Paul gave similar encouragement to the Thessalonians, reminding them that the Lord Himself will return, that we will be gathered to Him, and that “we will always be with the Lord.” And then he adds these simple but powerful words: “Encourage one another with these words.”

So take heart today. You are not wandering anymore. You are not forgotten. Goodness and mercy are following you—and home is ahead.