Psalm 23:6 (Part 4 of 4)
III. He Looks Out After Our Weaknesses
This is the third need our shepherd meets. He looks out for our weaknesses, fears, and future. My favorite part of this Psalm is verse 6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me..." He makes it personal by saying, "...all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." I don't have to be afraid of life, death, or eternity because "The Lord is my shepherd."
I think verse 6 sums up this Psalm. In Hebrew poetry, the writer would often sum up everything that was said in the poem in one line. David sums it up by saying, "goodness and mercy...all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." So, in life, "goodness and mercy" follow me.
I also want you to notice that "goodness and mercy" were with him even when he was in the "valley of deepest darkness." God is always good and merciful, even when you're in a deep, dark valley or facing "the shadow of death." The Hebrew word for "mercy" is "lovingkindness."
How many of us can remember those dark times in our lives and see that God was good, loving, kind, faithful, and merciful?
You may be going through a tough time right now, and you say, “I can't hear His voice.” "I don't feel His presence." Even if you can't see Him, hear Him, or feel Him, He's always there. He said he would. And He always keeps His word. He said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." He is with you in the valley. It says that His "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." How wonderful that is!
He looks after us in life and in death. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." God saves the best for last. You say, "I'm getting weaker." It's getting darker. "I don't know what the future holds." The future holds the Father's house for all time.
John 14:27 says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. . " He also said, "If you believe in God, you should also believe in Me." He said, "In My Father's house"—that's how He described heaven—". . . are many mansions . . ." I am going to get a place ready for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and get you; that way, you can be with me where I am (John 14:1-3). Jesus said that heaven is a real place that has been made ready. It's your father's house; it's home.
I like that David wrote this psalm a long time before we read Jesus' words recorded for us in John 14. David said, "And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Pay attention to how sure he is. "Surely goodness and mercy...I will live in the house of the LORD."
D. L. Moody, the famous American evangelist, said, "With me, the Lord; beneath me, green pastures; beside me, still waters; before me, a table; around me, my enemies; after me, goodness and mercy; and ahead of me, the house of the Lord forever." I have always loved the certainty with which Psalm 23 ends: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
You know where you will go when you die. When you die, you can be completely sure that you will go to heaven. Being good, trying to live a religious life, or going to church on Sunday won't get you there. The Father will ask, "What did you do with My Son?"
Do you trust Jesus to be your Savior? Jesus Christ is the only one who can lead our souls. He is the Good Shepherd who died for the sheep. Jesus willingly died on the Cross for the sheep so that we could be saved and forgiven of our sins. This is how He became the Shepherd of our souls.
You say, "How do I become one of His sheep?" "How do I find Him to be my Shepherd?" You need to first understand that you are a sinner who is separated from God. Then you repent (feel sorry and turn from) for what you did wrong. You accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)." If you believe in Him, you will be "in the house of the Lord forever."
If you turn away from your sins, trust in Jesus as your Savior, believe that He died on the Cross for you, and invite Him into your life by faith, He will forgive your sins, give you spiritual life, and make you a new creation in Christ. "Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)." You will also have the hope of heaven.
The only way to say, "I have everything I need" in this life, the next life, and forever is to be able to say, "The Lord is my shepherd."
Is He your shepherd? I'm not talking about your uncle-shepherd, aunt-shepherd, or pastor-shepherd. I'm talking about the Good Shepherd, who longs to be your shepherd. I trust you are able to say with the psalmist David, "He is my Shepherd; I have everything I need."
This is the third need our shepherd meets. He looks out for our weaknesses, fears, and future. My favorite part of this Psalm is verse 6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me..." He makes it personal by saying, "...all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." I don't have to be afraid of life, death, or eternity because "The Lord is my shepherd."
I think verse 6 sums up this Psalm. In Hebrew poetry, the writer would often sum up everything that was said in the poem in one line. David sums it up by saying, "goodness and mercy...all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." So, in life, "goodness and mercy" follow me.
I also want you to notice that "goodness and mercy" were with him even when he was in the "valley of deepest darkness." God is always good and merciful, even when you're in a deep, dark valley or facing "the shadow of death." The Hebrew word for "mercy" is "lovingkindness."
How many of us can remember those dark times in our lives and see that God was good, loving, kind, faithful, and merciful?
You may be going through a tough time right now, and you say, “I can't hear His voice.” "I don't feel His presence." Even if you can't see Him, hear Him, or feel Him, He's always there. He said he would. And He always keeps His word. He said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." He is with you in the valley. It says that His "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." How wonderful that is!
He looks after us in life and in death. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." God saves the best for last. You say, "I'm getting weaker." It's getting darker. "I don't know what the future holds." The future holds the Father's house for all time.
John 14:27 says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. . " He also said, "If you believe in God, you should also believe in Me." He said, "In My Father's house"—that's how He described heaven—". . . are many mansions . . ." I am going to get a place ready for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and get you; that way, you can be with me where I am (John 14:1-3). Jesus said that heaven is a real place that has been made ready. It's your father's house; it's home.
I like that David wrote this psalm a long time before we read Jesus' words recorded for us in John 14. David said, "And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Pay attention to how sure he is. "Surely goodness and mercy...I will live in the house of the LORD."
D. L. Moody, the famous American evangelist, said, "With me, the Lord; beneath me, green pastures; beside me, still waters; before me, a table; around me, my enemies; after me, goodness and mercy; and ahead of me, the house of the Lord forever." I have always loved the certainty with which Psalm 23 ends: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
You know where you will go when you die. When you die, you can be completely sure that you will go to heaven. Being good, trying to live a religious life, or going to church on Sunday won't get you there. The Father will ask, "What did you do with My Son?"
Do you trust Jesus to be your Savior? Jesus Christ is the only one who can lead our souls. He is the Good Shepherd who died for the sheep. Jesus willingly died on the Cross for the sheep so that we could be saved and forgiven of our sins. This is how He became the Shepherd of our souls.
You say, "How do I become one of His sheep?" "How do I find Him to be my Shepherd?" You need to first understand that you are a sinner who is separated from God. Then you repent (feel sorry and turn from) for what you did wrong. You accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)." If you believe in Him, you will be "in the house of the Lord forever."
If you turn away from your sins, trust in Jesus as your Savior, believe that He died on the Cross for you, and invite Him into your life by faith, He will forgive your sins, give you spiritual life, and make you a new creation in Christ. "Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)." You will also have the hope of heaven.
The only way to say, "I have everything I need" in this life, the next life, and forever is to be able to say, "The Lord is my shepherd."
Is He your shepherd? I'm not talking about your uncle-shepherd, aunt-shepherd, or pastor-shepherd. I'm talking about the Good Shepherd, who longs to be your shepherd. I trust you are able to say with the psalmist David, "He is my Shepherd; I have everything I need."