Psalm 23:3-6
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6
The psalmist isn’t naive enough to say that there will never be dark days for those who have the Lord as their shepherd. He knows perfectly well from experience that there is plenty of ugliness in our world, and sometimes it catches up with us. Occasionally, we are even forced to take a journey through the valley of the shadow of death…but even there, and especially there, the Lord is present with rod and staff to protect and sustain us. But it’s even better than that! He goes on to say that goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. There’s no problem in looking back…there’ll be no enemies stalking us. And if our days seem hurried and harried, all we need to do is slow down and let God’s goodness and mercy overtake us. In those quiet moments of meditation, as we take some extra-long breaths and rest by the still waters, God’s pursuing blessings envelop us with a sense of peace and tranquility. We bask in the Shepherd’s calming and sheltering presence and will even make our home in the house of the Lord forever. No wonder folks love this psalm so much! It oozes with hope and optimism…and always lifts us up.
Thought for the Day: When do I need to hear this psalm?
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