Ps 23. 1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
A disco band named ‘Heatwave’ wrote a song released in 1976 titled, ‘Always and Forever’. This song swept the charts and became a popular tune at weddings across the country. I wonder how many couples danced to that music, made it their own special song of endearment, only to break up years later. I was one of them.
The words always and forever mean essentially the same thing. They are measures of time that have no end. When we say always we mean all the time and on every occasion, without variation or change, without interruption, and forever – throughout all time. To say you will always like something or always do something or always be there or always be available or always love someone is to profess a perpetual promise based on your expected knowledge of the future. This is shaky ground even with the best of intentions.
What do we mean by forever? Forever implies limitless time, endless time without interruption. The synonyms everlasting and eternal come to mind. Our comprehension of time is within what we know to exist. We understand seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. We have an appreciation for longevity. We celebrate the centenarians who reach their 100th birthdays and beyond. We marvel at couples who’ve been together 50, 60 even 75 years.
I remember the intrigue I felt when I stood at the Colosseum in Rome. The sheer size of it was overwhelming but it was the age that was difficult to comprehend. Finished in 84 AD it is approximately 1,938 years old! Try to wrap your head around that number in years. And it’s still standing! Even this information, albeit impressive, doesn’t come close to ‘always and forever’ in time.
Our always and forever is subject to limits. Limits of our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, and our direction. Our thoughts change constantly. Our feelings have no settled place. Our actions reflect our inconsistent thoughts and feelings. And our direction is seldom straight forward. The good news is that when God says always, He means just what He says. There is no possibility of anything different.
God has no variation in His love for us, no interruption in His promises to us, and He is eternal – a time concept we can’t truly comprehend.
Psalm 23:6 tells us that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow His children ‘all the days’ of their life.
What is God’s goodness and mercy?
goodness the best, bountiful, favour, graciously, kindness, loving, pleasant
lovingkindness mercy, kindness, favour
WordWeb: compassion, kindness, forgiveness
“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me”
God’s children have the promise of His favor and the blessing that result from His care and protection. The Psalmist can say this for certain and as he looks back at God’s guidance and care for him, he is assured that this care will continue throughout all his days on earth and into eternity. In what ways are you able to testify of God’s care for yourself? Consider all the times He has kept you safe, His supply of all things you have needed, the blessings He has given, and the comfort He has provided.
“Surely goodness and kindness will follow me. This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or “surely” is set as a seal upon it. This sentence may be read, “only goodness and mercy,” for there shall be unmingled mercy in our history. These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. Goodness and mercy follow him always –” Treasury of David
Ps 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
Ps 36:7-10 How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings. 8 They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house; And Thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights. 9 For with Thee is the fountain of life; In Thy light we see light. 10 O continue Thy lovingkindness to those who know Thee, and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
2Co 1:9-10 indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a [peril of] death, and will deliver [us,] He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,
God’s care for us will not stop, it always available. Perhaps we don’t often recognize God’s provision and protection. But it will ‘follow’ us, meaning there is so much blessing God has for us that we can’t even get away from it! God desires to bless His children!
God will bless us here on earth and forever in heaven. What are we looking forward to?
“And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever”.
Heaven is my true home. When Jesus died for me on the cross, He paid the penalty of death I owe and purchased a place in heaven for me. When Jesus rose from the dead in victory over sin, He sat at the right hand of His Father in heaven. God’s children have an established place in heaven, an eternal dwelling in His presence.
Ps 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. (KJV)
What does this mean for me? One thing I should not do is place my source of happiness in this world. There are definitely moments of happiness that are blessings from God, but this is not my focus. If I’m living for what the world offers then my joy is fleeting – it comes and goes with the events and circumstances that surround me. These moments of happiness are good and we should enjoy them, but they are inconsistent.
However, the joy set before me in God’s promises are definite. His goodness and lovingkindness are always available and showered upon me even though I am undeserving. And God’s promise of life forever with Him is a goal that will be attained. It is certain!
Ps 73:24 With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.
“God never leaves his true followers providential mercies gracious influences, and miraculous interferences, shall never be wanting when they are necessary.” Adam Clarke’s Commentary
Ps 36:7-9 How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings. 8 They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house; And Thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights. 9 For with Thee is the fountain of life; In Thy light we see light.
God’s children have confidence in God’s care and in God’s plan. This confidence produces a joy separate from circumstances. It is a joy in the knowledge that someday we will be in heaven forever. We need no other proof that heaven is real than the word of God saying it is so! No miraculous experiences, no visions or lights at the end of a tunnel – God’s word is truth and He says He is preparing a place for us.
2Co 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Ti 4:18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Ps 16:11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fullness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.
God’s children have God’s favor. We have been given the privilege of knowing Him and His graciousness towards us. Because of His lovingkindness, the benefit of His protection and guidance are bestowed upon His children.
“And therefore I am bold to hope, that the same bounteous goodness and tender mercy which hath without my desert done all this for me, and pursues me as zealously with its favor as my enemies do with their malice, will still more graciously attend me at the end of my days, and settle me in a quiet enjoyment of his house (as well as my own); where I will never cease to praise his wonderful love towards me, and to give him thanks for all the benefits he hath bestowed upon his unworthy servant.” Patrick/Lowth/Whitby/Lowman Commentary
Consider. We have ‘bad’ days and ‘good’ days. There are some days we would like to repeat and others we would love to forget. We have days filled with happiness and days filled with sadness. We have days that are confusing and days where all seems to be in its place. Sometimes we anticipate days where a special event is planned and other times we dread a day that we know will be difficult. In all these days, God is with us. God will supply all that is needed because of His goodness towards us. God will continue to pour His blessing upon us even though we are undeserving because of His mercy shown towards us. These promises are incredible!
Consider. What is an inheritance? Perhaps you’ve inherited something after someone has died. We can inherit a title or an office or property. We can inherit blue eyes or blond hair, height and many other biological characteristics from our parents. Children of God have an inheritance in His kingdom to look forward to when they finally pass from this earth. But, we also have an inheritance now. And that is we may dwell in His house at any time. We can dwell in His presence at any time.
Look at what God has already done for you. This is what our Psalmist has done from the beginning of Psalm 23, and what has led David to his conclusion in Ps 23:6. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
He has seen God’s care and provision in his life as his Shepherd in verse 1.
He has experienced rest from God in the midst of turmoil in verse 2.
He has been refreshed by God and led on a path of righteousness for Him in verse 3.
He has encountered God’s peace, protection and comfort through dangers and difficulties in verse 4.
He has received God’s abundant blessings even while he is distressed and afflicted in verse 5.
Because God has shown His faithfulness in the past and because God’s character is faithful,
Therefore, Surely, Only – goodness and lovingkindness will follow him all his days and he has the promise of eternal life in God’s blessed presence!
David is resolved that God will continue to favor Him throughout all his days and into forever.
Contentment in the certainty of God’s blessings – this is our example.
Ps 23. 1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
One of the lines in the song ‘Always and Forever’ by Heatwave reads as follows.
“And I know tomorrow, will still be the same, cause we’ve got a life of love that won’t ever change”
As people, the promise of ‘always and forever’ to one another is wrought with our own inconsistencies and infidelities.
In Christ, our tomorrow will reflect the same faithfulness and love from God that He has shown in the past. God’s love for His children will never change. His promise for our future is certain. God will love us and care for us always and forever!
