The Good Shepherd: Part 4
Psalm 23
Do you truly believe God is good, yet? As His people, how often do you think we overlook God’s faithfulness? How much do you think we overlook His mercy? I would say, as a whole, we do this way more often than we think. Getting so caught up in what is happening or not happening. Instead of seeing God for who He is. His faithfulness is to be honored, not overlooked. Let us look at David’s example in verse 6;
Psalm 23:6 (ESV) “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
David unveils Gods’ goodness and mercy for us. How they are constant and enduring. Testifying about Gods’ goodness through all his life and proclaiming His goodness to come. How can David be so confident? It is because he understands who God is and the promise He gave us. What promise, you say? Let’s break this down with a few words.
Surely- This word carries power with the contexts that David uses it. There is no sign of hesitation from David. He knows without a doubt, that God will be there in His future just as He has been and is. We need to have the same trust in God that David did. Constant, unwavering, faith, and trust in God, that He will do what He said He would. How well have you been trusting God?
Follow- The Hebrew word used here actually translates to something similar to the following: To run after, to follow after, chase down, pursue, track down, etc. In other words, you cannot escape Gods goodness and mercy because it is hunting you down! Gods’ goodness is not passive but active! Ever thought about it that way?
Goodness- We need to know what Gods’ goodness is. If you do not know what it is, how can you identify it? Gods’ goodness is expressed in the abundant provision and care he has for you. It is His favor on you and that goes with you. His faithfulness is revealed to you, through His goodness to you. It is in His goodness that we see the fulfillment of His promises. Take a moment and really ponder on your life. Where do you see Gods’ goodness . . . How does is look? Are you having trouble or are you seeing all that He has had a hand in?
Mercy- It is because of Gods’ mercy that we can walk in and experience His forgiveness, kindness, & restoration. His mercy is a steadfast love, meaning it is never changing. Mercy pours out His favor upon us. Say What? Yes! God is compassionate about you; He cares deeply for you!
Exodus 33:19 (ESV), “And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
God declares to Moses His glory as His goodness. God’s glory is His manifested power and goodness. You cannot have Gods manifested presence without having his manifested glory, power, and goodness. They go everywhere together. They are tied together and that is what is running after you! As we read in Psalms 31:19, God is the source of everything that is good. His supply will never run dry. For there is a ‘stored up’ reserve of His goodness. His goodness is not acceptable to all, but to those who reverence Him, those that honor Him, those who love Him, for those who fear Him. He will lavish His people of a humble heart. I do not know about you, but this just tells me God wants to spoil us with His goodness! Does this hone your perspective of how good God really is?
“I shall dwell in the house of The Lord forever.” We have an eternal security because of Gods’ goodness and mercy. Gods’ goodness is seen in His unconditional love for us. His faithfulness and goodness have outweighed the hardship. Rejoice in your valleys and on your mountain tops, Gods’ hand is right in the middle of it all.
It is His goodness that makes a seat for us at the table. And it is by His mercy that we can pull up the seat to that table. This is the promise He has for you as The Good Shepherd. You have to be certain in this promise. Do you want to be unshakeable? You’ll have to make this personal to yourself. You have to have confidence in this, in His promise.
Right now, you are living in Psalm 23!
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