/If you don't believe me, ask Douglas Adams.
Look him up - if you haven't read his books, they're hysterical!
Most believe that this psalm was written during the years David fled for his life from Saul’s jealous rage. He hid in forests and in dark caves.
Even in this difficult situation, David expressed total faith in his Lord.
Surely goodness and love (mercy) will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6
Do you hear the change in David’s tone?
He doesn't describe how the Lord ministered to him in the darkness.
There were no choices to make.
Instead, he proclaimed the certainty of his Lord’s promises, now and forever
Surely…
We don’t use this word a lot today and when we do, it’s usually to express disbelief or dismay.
“Surely he won’t do that.”
“Surely she won’t say that.”
There’s no disbelief in David’s voice when he said, “Surely…”
He was filled with
- Total confidence
- Complete faith
- Absolute trust.
Can you imagine? He’s in a cave, hiding from a man who wants to kill him.
If I were in that cave, I wouldn’t be talking about God’s goodness and mercy! I’d be shouting,
“Don’t You love me? Do You care??"
David didn’t freak out - He was confident in his Shepherd’s love and care
Goodness and love...
He believed God’s promise that he would be king of Israel and, in that assurance, he looked beyond the cave to the blessings that lie before him.
- Goodness – kindness, abundant blessings, benevolence
- Love – faithfulness, patience, forgiveness
We’ve all been trapped in dark caves – caves of sorrow, of pain, of hopelessness. We look around and fell overwhelmed with fear and desperation.
But, somewhere deep inside of us, our hearts echo God’s promises of goodness and love for us – at that moment and for the rest of our lives.
Promises built on His unchangeable character.
I will dwell...forever
David was running for his life but he didn’t panic – he placed his faith in God’s sovereignty and stood on the assurance of an eternal life spent with Him.
Now, I don’t think David said,
“Nah-na-na-nah-na-na! You can’t kill me because God told me I’d be king someday!”
He knew death was inevitable, but he found joy in the surety of eternal life.
He knew that he knew that he would dwell in the house of the Lord – that he would live with God as part of His family
For believers, there is no fear in death. We’re not expected to be excited about it but we know that, when we leave this temporary life, we enter into an eternal life as part of God’s family.
- Goodness
- Love
- Eternal life
How does surety in God’s promises enrich your life?
If you do not have this assurance, God’s reaching out to you. Find someone who can show you God’s love for you.
Photo credit: cave SimpleFoto
This explanation brings new meaning to these verses for me. Thank you! Confidence, faith, and trust in God for goodness, love, and eternal life. That makes total sense! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it blessed you, Sue. God's always opening up new meaning in His Word.
DeletePart 9 is coming up and that will be the end. So sad!
I just read them all, Sherry, and I could see myself in most of your situations - been there, done that. especially the one about making dumb choices that I seem to keep on making...although yes, I make them less these days. I'm thankful for that progress, and also thankful i'll always need my Shepherd.
ReplyDeleteYour series reminded me of my need, and how He longs for us to come to Him with EVERYTHING!
Blessings! Mary
Isn't it amazing how much He loves us? Praise Him for His patience! Thanks for dropping by.
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