Psalm 23:6 Forever Home

Surely your [God’s] 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

This post is in memory of my precious Aunt JoAnne, who stepped through the gates into the house of the LORD on Friday evening, July 26, 2019.

David ends this psalm with confidence and praise. How can he do differently? His praise for his Shepherd has flowed from every verse.

• God is David’s provider (Psalm 23:1).
• God brings David to places of peace and refreshes his soul (Psalm 23:1-3a). 
• God guides David in the right way when he has decisions to make. (Psalm 23:3a).
• God encourages and strengthens David, even when he walks through dark times; His presence comforts him during hardship and difficulty. (Psalm 23:4b).
• God sustains David when he faces dangerous enemies and fills him to overflowing with His grace (Psalm 23:5).

Like David, we can experience God’s peace, guidance, presence, and love, no matter our circumstances. 

David doesn’t qualify his statements to match his circumstances. I do that too often. I acknowledge God’s peace when things are going well and I feel His presence when I’m on the mountain top.

During dark times, I sometimes allow despair to capture my mind and I often accuse God of leaving me to suffer alone.

We can claim the promise of David’s words: God’s goodness and love follow us every day of our lives. Not just on sunny days, not only when life is easy, but every day!

And when our days end, we can know that we know that we will step into His House and live with Him forever. We can cling to the promise that we will join our family and friends who have gone before us.

When I step into eternity, my mom, my parents-in-love, my grandparents, my Aunt JoAnne, and so many other loved ones will be waiting for me and we will rejoice with Jesus forever.

In my next post, we close out our journey through Psalm 23 and mine the gems that await us as we apply it to our daily lives. 


How do David's words in Psalm 23:6 increase your confidence in God?

The 7 Wonders of Psalm 23: Part Eight

Who said a series of 7 can't have 8 - or even 9 - parts?
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

Surely God showers us with His blessings – now and forevermore!



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

Excerpt from Storms of Life, Silver Lining: Hope

Excerpt from Storms of Life Chapter 6, Day 5:
"When we focus on God’s truths they lift our spirits; He is the Father of peace, not doubt and confusion. Even during suffering, an underlying bedrock of peace and joy will allow you to feel hope. God’s Word is Truth: timeless, changeless, a Light for your heart and soul when all else is in darkness.
Truth is not a whim that blows in the wind. ... It stands on the Rock of God’s character and is expressed in every promise spoken by His faithfulness. God is the Father of peace, joy, strength, wisdom, hope, and so much more. Focus on Him! Let His Word become your Bread of Life and your Living Water to sustain you in the wilderness of suffering."




The sound of rain, flashes of lightening, rolls of thunder— I love a storm. I like to snuggle up with a hot cup of tea and a good book.

But, no amount of hot tea and no shelf of bestsellers can lessen a storm of suffering or hardship that invades our lives and threatens our stability.

The days stretch by and things just seem to get worse.

Where’s God? Has He forgotten us? Worse yet, has He abandoned us? It sure feels like it sometimes. We’re desperate for His love and grace.

Even though we don’t see it or feel it, God is there, upholding us with His grace.

In the next few posts, we'll rejoice in the 8 colors of God’s grace that surround us during our hardest times.

“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
“There’s a blessing hidden is this storm, if you just look for it.”


These statements are hard to believe when all we can see is dark, swirling clouds.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11: 1

Hope…this word doesn’t mean
                    "I wish," or
                    "I want it to happen but I’m not sure."


It means complete confidence, certainty, unfailing.

In Christ, our hope is complete confidence in Him and His unfailing promises.

Even from the midst of the storm, we have hope (total confidence) in the silver lining.

Hope in His presence.
Hope in His faithfulness.
Hope in His sustaining power.


All the colors of God's grace are built on this hope.

When you've been buffeted by a storm, how have you built your stability on the hope of (confidence in) God's faithfulness?


If this post blesses you, please share.


Next post: Red - God's Passion and Power