Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... Psalm 23:6a
When I was a kid I was a member of the Boys Club in the neighborhood. I was 12 when I joined and walked home for many years before I started driving and on the days when I didn’t get rides. It was about a mile from my house. The neighborhood seemed to be a scary place for a junior high kid so needless to say I walked very fast. Nothing ever happened and I attribute that to the Lord walking with me. It was the fear of both the unknown and the fear of the perceived known that had me in their grip. I was driven by the belief that if I can just make it home, everything will be ok. That belief proved true every time. When I think back on those days, I can say that those fears never subsided. They stayed the whole time.
Not being in fear, however, is what David has been talking about and as he wraps up this set of passages, he acknowledges the lifelong presence in his life of the goodness and mercy of his great shepherd.
David’s awareness and gratitude is to be the follower of Christ’s, also. We have never been left or forsaken. I was never really alone even though I felt very alone on those walks. There are days even now when I feel alone on my journey home. But, I know, yes indeed I know, that His goodness and mercy is surely with me guarding me from behind and moving me forward and when I do arrive at the place where I will dwell, it’ll be The Shepherds House and it’ll be forever.
I have never done this before - mostly because pre-COVID, we’ve done strictly print media - but if you have about 5 more minutes, click on this link for a music video: https://youtu.be/Mo3HgtT_OiE and, if not right now, come back and watch/listen another day.
Lord, thank You for Your constant presence even when I didn’t know it was there.
Thank You, Lord for keeping me close all the days of my life.
Lord, give me words of encouragement for someone, maybe even today.