The Shepherd's Psalm (Pt. 7)

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:5-6 ESV).

 

The next descriptive phrase David uses is taken from his experience as a shepherd: “… surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (v. 6). I have pictured this in my mind many times. If the shepherd leads the sheep, they would be vulnerable from an attack in the rear; or, they may even wander away and become lost even more easily. The Good Shepherd, being wise and knowing the nature of his flock prevents that with the use of two marvelous sheepdogs: “goodness” and “mercy.”

While we are never promised a path that is easy, we are protected and secured by the ever present goodness and mercy of God.

 

I’ve had enough health problems to recognize how utterly out of control life can get at times. In my last experience I was shown to a “pre-op cubicle” where various nurses, technicians, and doctors came in and out telling me what was going to happen, taking vital signs and readings, and getting me ready for the actual procedure. I had absolutely no control over any of that. Some of it was embarrassing; those hospital gowns are not meant to be runway worthy. And, of course there was the inevitable “little pinch” of the IV needles being placed. Fortunately I have good veins and a high tolerance for pain. The sticks were not terrible. The hard part for me was not knowing what they would find and if it could be fixed. However, what I did have was the perfect Shepherd and two great sheepdogs keeping me on the perfect path to where I needed to be at the end of it all.

 

The goodness of God is that part of His character that means his children are all spared any of the possibility of a bad ending. The mercy of God is that part of His character that determines precisely what is best for His children to bring good into their lives. That goodness and mercy is never absent. It is always on watch that we may never need to be anxious about the final destination of our journey. I can’t imagine facing life without that knowledge. I hope you have come to reach the same conclusion in your journey. God doesn’t just “know” what will happen; He leads and directs it for our good!