09202025 All the Days of My Life

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the faithful God who never changes. What He was yesterday, He is today, and He will be tomorrow. David recognized this when he anticipated, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” The previous two sections have talked about God’s goodness and lovingkindness. It is important to know what those terms mean, and it is helpful to understand what those two characteristics meant to David. Ultimately, however, David’s point was not just to mention these important attributes, but to express his confidence that they would continue with him faithfully through all of his days. David fully expected that God’s goodness and lovingkindness would never fail or cease.

This statement flows out of everything that has come before. All the previous declarations of David (that God had provided, guided, protected, refreshed, comforted, blessed) are manifestations of God’s goodness and lovingkindness. David has seen these interactions throughout his life so far, and he now states that he is certain they will continue to follow him for the remainder of his days. Why would it ever be any different? God does not change. Both David’s experience and his knowledge of God’s character provided irrefutable arguments that God’s previous actions as a Shepherd would continue faithfully through to the end.

David wanted to abide in the same beautiful relationship with God that he had experienced in the past. He knew the importance of remaining faithful and continuing to seek God, and he wanted that for every day of his life. “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” (Ps. 27:4). As David continued his devoted walk with God, he had every expectation that God would continue to act toward him in the same faithful and wonderful ways.

Just as God always expresses lovingkindness, so are His ways always filled with it. David did not believe that God was sometimes favorable and sometimes contrary. All God’s paths were lovingkindness, so as David walked those paths, he could expect to see lovingkindness for all his days. “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies” (Ps. 25:10).

David’s own testimony illustrates that God’s goodness and lovingkindness did follow him all the days of his life. When God gave His covenant to David, He promised to continue His lovingkindness even beyond David’s life to his son Solomon. “I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee” (I Chr. 17:13). David responded by acknowledging God’s blessing on his house and his faith in believing that God’s favor would continue. “Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever” (I Chr. 17:27).

Near the end of his life, David gave instructions for Solomon and for the people in what may have been his last public address. What was important for him to say at that time? He prayed, “Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name” (I Chr. 29:10-13). He prayed words that praised God’s greatness and that recounted how God’s good hand had been with him and had mightily blessed him. Here at the end of his life, he could see that God’s goodness and lovingkindness had been with him all his days.

We also have what was one of David’s last private conversations. “Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; and keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: that the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel” (I Kings 2:1-4). Again, we see a man at the end of his days who sees the blessing of God’s goodness to him and his family.

Earlier in his life David had expected God’s goodness and lovingkindness to accompany him all his days, and when he reached those end days, his words indicated that it had been so. His last words were optimistic, awe-filled, and thankful, as he made a point to tell others of God’s goodness to him.

Some of you have many days remaining, while for others the days are fewer, but all of you can rest assured that God’s goodness and lovingkindness will follow you all of your days, to the very end! God bless.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA