Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23:6 KJV
A quick peep into a few things that lays the foundation for today's extract. These words are spoken by a man who had a personal encounter with the Great Shepherd. He was himself a shepherd, so he understood the role as shepherd plays in the life of the sheep. He finds safe pasture for the sheep, keeps them safe from harm, and ensures that they return home safely and are locked up properly at night, away from any possible harm. That is a small picture of what a shepherd does. David had firsthand experience of what a shepherd ought to be: he fought bears and lions up in order to keep his father's sheep safe. God does the same for us too, as he does not allow evil to happen to us without his permission.
There is however a caveat, as seen in today's extract. It says: Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me. The question then is: who/what am I following, if I am to access this promise? I definitely cannot pursue after my own things, and expect God to just back me up anyway. I cannot be living outside of God's perfect will and still expect him to pat me on the back and approve all I do against his will. That is not God. If goodness and mercy, attributes of God, will follow me, I had better be sure that I am also following after the things that God approves of. This present age is too confusing for me to navigate without the help of the One who is not limited by circumstances, time and space.
With God, I don't get seasonal or circumstantial help; I get it all the days of my life, as long as I hold on to and trust him. God is not like man who cannot even predict the next 2 seconds, but this is a God who wrote down all my days in his book even before I physically manifested. That is wisdom, power and might. That is what I have access to all the days of my life. I also note that it is an individual impact. We can come to church and claim it for everyone who came in, but its eternal impact is only experienced by those who know the Shepherd on a personal basis. Does the Shepherd know me as his own, or am I the one claiming what is not true? Do I recognise, accept and embrace his authority over my life?
That is why I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I do not see how anyone or anything else can guarantee that which God promises here. Access to all that God is and offers is tied to who God is and where He is. I cannot continue in sin and demand that God's grace continue to abound. As the Bible says: "God forbid". I cannot insist on my own way and expect God to validate it without question. Let's not forget: what I can access is tied to my embrace and acceptance of who God is. I will not get goodness and mercy from the devil; there is no place of rest with the devil; the devil has nothing of eternal value to give to anyone. Forever is such a strong word; may nothing of this world hold my attention so much that it distracts me from all that God is. God's time of favour is here.
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