“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever”. Psalm 23:6
The teaching of Psalm 23 from King David exhibits the close relationship between the sheep and their good shepherd. The imagery he used was to show God’s provision, protection, mercy, and blessings over His people. He envisioned himself in his early years, when his work had been to look after the sheep. He remembers what he did for the sheep.
David begins with an emphatic word. It is not a doubt of goodness; it’s surely goodness and mercy. It showed David’s confidence in God’s grace. No matter where he goes, he cannot get away from this everlasting assurance.
No matter what stage of life we are in, we should never forget the one thing David said regarding God’s goodness. We may say, “Well, my life is filled with a great deal of trouble.” We can easily list many things that are not as we would like them to be. Sin has brought its dreadful effects into the world, and things are not as they should be in the places we live, work, our homes, or in our own hearts. Yet, there is good in our lives.
Even if a child is naughty, rebellious, a troublemaker, not following directions, breaking agreements, etc., the mother nevertheless continues to treat her child with gentle mercy. Even though the child is undeserving of this kindness, the mother decided to extend it anyway since she just wants the best for the child.
In a similar way, God is not mad at us. He is madly in love with us, and His goodness and mercy chase us all through our lives. David wants us to know that the Lord pursues us with loving kindness. The Lord, who is always chasing us, is always keeping us. We will live with Him in His house forever. Once God begins His pursuit of us, He will never let us go. No believer can be separated from the love of God, our great shepherd, and King.
