“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)
The first half of this verse would be right at home on a fortune cookie, wouldn’t it? I can imagine cracking one open, reading that line, and thinking, “Well, that sounds nice.”
But David wasn’t writing after-dinner happy thoughts to read with dessert. Psalm 23 is not a Hallmark card. David actually believed his God, his Shepherd, would bring him goodness and love in their relationship forever.
Remember, David was being stalked by murderers and knew the road through death’s valley by hard experience. But David focused on the goodness and love of God and his future in God’s house and friendship. His daily troubles faded in the light of God’s care for him.
Think: As a Christian, you can own David’s statement in this verse with confidence. Do you feel confident that it’s true? Are you convinced of God’s love for you, along with His power and goodness?
Pray: Thank God that His love and goodness will follow you all the days of your life and that you will live with Him forever.
Do: Copy this verse into an e-mail and send it to five Christian friends as an act of encouragement. Ask them to do the same. Suggest that if they don’t, they’ll get terrible and itchy acne on the bottoms of their feet forever! (Except skip that last part.)