“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
February 3, 2023
“Surely” or rather “only.” Two streams of thought connect in this one word. Consider David’s life. He had been relentlessly pursued by Saul. Absalom, David’s son, had betrayed him, and enemies abounded. David is not denying a troubled filled life. But this is nothing because of the Lord, his Shepherd. David draws comfort from knowing that God made sure that his needs were supplied and loyal love was always in hot pursuit. This is the best kind of cradle to the grave care. On top of that we, along with David, can live with the assurance of the continual presence of God for “days without end.” A painless life is not the highest good but one in which the search for meaning finds its fulfillment in endless days enjoying the presence of God.
The Lord is our Shepherd because He has given His life for us and we have put our trust in Him.
The Lord is our Shepherd because He nourishes us through His Word and gives us rest of soul.
The Lord is our Shepherd because we can delight in full communion with Him, even after we have passed through death’s doors.
Jesus lived by, with, and in Psalm 23. He walked this Himself. He is the Lord to whom we look. He is the living Shepherd to whom we call.
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“O Lord, my Shepherd, I do not want to live with accumulated wasted hours, or be weighed down with remorse and bitter memories. I want to enjoy some of heaven before I get there.”