"Goodness and Mercy"

I’ve been in dark, old valleys,

Where I couldn’t see the sun,

Felt like a shunned outsider,

Without a friend, not one.

Been horseback in the thickets,

Where mud could bog you down,

And wandered so far out there,

Thought I’d never come around.

Been lost with rope and saddle,

With just my cowboy pride,

And felt so bad ashamed of me,

All I could do was hide.

I’ve slept with rage and bitterness,

The devil knew my name,

Let him sit at my table,

And I knew why he came.

To make me even madder,

And feed all that was wrong,

A wonder I survived it,

Indulged him for so long.

And then the Lord sent someone,

A cowboy preacher true,

Without an ounce of judgment,

He showed me mercy, too.

But told me what I needed,

And made it plain as day,

Pointed me to Jesus,

And he had this to say,

You’ve zigged and zagged a long while,

Gone where you shouldn’t go,

But God made His investment,

Calls you to follow though,

And now it’s time to answer,

To change and go His way,

Don’t waste another minute,

Get right with Him today.

And that’s just how it happened,

I stepped down from my horse,

Got face down on the prairie,

And called on Christ the source,

Of salvation and of pardon,

Of all that plagued my soul,

Put my trust in Jesus,

To heal and make me whole.

What dogged me long is over,

I look back now and see,

His goodness and His mercy,

They always follow me.

Now I ride for Jesus,

I wear the Kingdom brand,

I’m thankful for amazing grace,

He holds me in His hand.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…” (Psalm 23:6, NIV)

When the Lord shepherds you, you shall not want. This means He really does take care of us. It doesn’t mean we get everything we want. It does mean He supplies everything we need. And by that I mean the deepest needs of our hearts. Life’s darkest valleys are illuminated by His presence, and there is no fear because He is with us. He heals, anoints, forgives, and leads us forward. We can count on His faithfulness and His eternal commitment to us. It’s absolutely the best way to live, and the only peaceful way to die.

Lord, help us follow You as our Shepherd, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Weller, donweller.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.