God's Goodness and Mercy - Psalm 23

"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

Here we are! We have reached the end of this magnificent Psalm, and what a journey! It has been such a joy to work through the deeper details of this scripture and share them with you. I pray that it has drawn you closer to our Good Shepherd.

Verse 6 is a beautiful declaration of faith and trust in God's care. No matter where we go, or what we face in life, we can trust that God's goodness and love will be with us, guiding and sustaining us.

When we follow Jesus, our future is bright and full of joy, peace and hope. Good things are coming. This is so important to know, because life in this world is not always easy; and often our faith as believers will bring with it many challenges, but ultimately we know we are better off because of Jesus.

Isn't it comforting to know that not only do we have the LORD as our Shepherd, caring for us in every season of our lives, but we know that goodness and mercy are always what is ahead of us. This is such a comfort and encouragement to all believers, as we know we are never alone.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to exemplify qualities of His character. Phillip Keller in His book 'A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23' said:

"The only real practical measure for my appreciation for the goodness and mercy of God to me, is the extent to which I am in turn, prepared to show goodness and mercy to others."

Isn't this such a humbling reminder?

Keller then encourages us to think about the following questions:

• Do I leave behind peace in (others) lives - or turmoil?

• Do I leave behind forgiveness - or bitterness?

• Do I leave behind contentment - or conflict?

• Do I leave behind flowers of joy - or frustration?

Wow, doesn't this challenge us to think of what type of daily trail we are leaving behind?

Are we butting heads with one another, or spurring others towards the love of Jesus?

Keller encourages us to think about our impact on others and whether our conduct and character lead others to Jesus, and ultimately, into life everlasting.

Which brings me to the last part of verse 6:

 "And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

Our future home in Heaven. This is the ultimate promise of God's love and goodness, that one day we will be with Him in eternity.

I love Psalm 23 because it offers us shelter and a fortress within a lost world that has become increasingly dark. It tells us of all the characteristics of a loving, protective Heavenly Father. Let us hold onto this truth, letting it sustain us each day, through all of life's ups and downs.

As we continue to read, meditate and pray through this Psalm, we will see everlasting evidence of hope, peace and truth.

This Psalm is now a staple in my daily time connecting with our LORD.

How will you utilise Psalm 23 in your life?

God bless