Psalm 23 King James Version
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/psa/23/6/t_conc_501006
Throughout Psalm 23, David reveals the intimate, personal nature of his close relationship with the Lord.
David has said “me” a total of six times, “I” four times, and “my” seven times.
In this beloved psalm, David writes a total of seventeen personal references in only six verses, making this passionate song of trust intensely, self-disclosing.
We expect this emphasis, because walking with the LORD by faith involves, first and foremost, a close fellowship with Him.
At its essence, true spirituality is not about going through the empty motions of bare religion.
Nor is it about the mere external activities of longstanding rituals.
Rather, a life with God is about knowing Him and loving His Son, Jesus Christ, in intimate, personal communion.
As we approach the last verse, verse 6, Psalm 23 steadily builds to this closing crescendo.
David writes, “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (verse 6).
Here, David builds upon the vivid analogy that he used in the previous verse.
In this context, he sees himself as a special guest in a grand banquet hall, where he is being served a feast by the LORD Himself.
However, this dining hall is located in a very special place.
It is found in a royal palace—but not merely a worldly ruler’s palace.
It is found in the dwelling place of the highest of nobility—in “the house of the LORD.”
“Surely Goodness and Lovingkindness”
David begins with this emphatic word, “Surely” (ak).
This word could be translated as “indeed,” “absolutely,” “beyond any doubt,” or even “only.”
There is no place for any equivocation in David’s mind about what he says next.
He is deeply persuaded of what he is about to affirm.
This steadfast conviction should mark every believer.
David says that “goodness” (lob) will follow him.
This word speaks of the abundant blessings and lavish benefits God has bestowed upon him.
In this word is evidenced the spiritual prosperity that he has experienced in following the Lord – All that David has needed, God has always provided.
David also confesses that the “lovingkindness” (hesed) of the LORD has followed him.
This is the Lord’s unconditional, loyal, royal love for David—and for all who put their trust in Him.
This word comes from the Hebrew root (hasad) that means ‘to bend down, to bow down.’
This describes God’s condescending love as He reaches all the way down from heaven to where exactly David is.
Could there be anything greater given to David’s life than the “goodness and lovingkindness” of the LORD?
God has given him the very best portion in His great love.
His steadfast, covenantal love for His own people never wavers, even in the furnace of affliction.
God gave each of us the very best portion of His great love – His Son Jesus.
John 3:16-17 King James Version
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
“Will Follow Me”
David adds that the Lord’s goodness and lovingkindness “will follow me.”
“Follow” (radap) means ‘to pursue after, to chase after, to run after.’
He knows that God’s mercy and grace are in close pursuit of his life.
No matter wherever he goes, he cannot get away from these ever-following assurances.
Regardless of whatever he does, he cannot escape them.
They will never let him go, even when circumstances seem to deny their reality.
These two attributes of God—“goodness and lovingkindness”—actually represent God Himself, who is continually pursuing David.
It is the figure of speech known as personification, which assigns humanlike qualities to inanimate objects.
To be sure, these two attributes represent God, who is personally following David and caring for his every need.
By this testimony, David states that God is relentless in His love toward him.
David is assured though he will falter and fail, God will never give up on him.
Regardless of how he may disappoint the LORD, he is persuaded that God will never stop pursuing and caring for him.
Even if he trips and falls, he knows God will never distance Himself from him.
Instead, God will pick up His servant and continue to walk with him.
David will testify elsewhere, “The steps of a man or established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).
This is an irrevocable promise firmly established in God’s own faithfulness.
“All the Days of My Life”
God’s love for David will follow him “all the days of my life.”
This tender affection and unchanging allegiance of God will be a never-ending pursuit of David to the end of his days.
His devotion toward God will surely fluctuate.
There will be times when it will strengthen or subside.
But God’s love for him is ever strong and steadfast.
God’s loyal love for David does not depend upon his love in return.
God’s love for David depends upon God Himself, who never weakens or wavers.
This is why God’s lovingkindness is always following after David.
Likewise, this same love of God is always in hot pursuit of every believer.
This divine love never takes a day off.
It never rests, never sleeps, never stops, never stumbles (Psalm 121:4).
Even in the midst of trying times, the love of God never goes on sabbatical, never takes a vacation.
It is ever strong toward us, ever sure.
“And I Will Dwell in the House of the Lord”
The last line begins with the word “and,” which indicates that what follows is inseparably connected with what preceded it.
With great certainty, David knows that he will “dwell in the house of the Lord.”
“Dwell” (yasab) means ‘to sit down and stay.’
It conveys the idea of making one’s own abode or home.
This is to say, David will always be at home in the Lord’s presence, always in personal relationship with Him, no matter where he goes.
David pictures this meal in which God serves him as taking place “in the house of the Lord.”
Of course, the temple in Jerusalem has not yet been built by his son Solomon.
Instead, this “house” represents the intimate fellowship that David enjoys with the Lord as he lives in the very presence of God each day.
David is pointing his readership to the close communion, intimate interaction that he has with the Lord.
“Forever”
The relationship between David and the Lord will last “forever.”
What starts in this lifetime will never come to an end.
The word “forever” here means literally ‘for the length of days, for prolonged, never-ending days.’
Once David began this relationship with the Lord, he knew it would never be severed.
In the words of this analogy, once David moves into the house of the Lord, he will never move out.
This is the eternal security of every believer.
The Lord Himself is their dwelling place.
Once they dwell in the house of the Lord, they will always be living in the fullness of His love and grace.
David wants us to know that the Lord who pursues us with lovingkindness is He who keeps us forever.
The Lord who is ever following us is ever keeping us.
Once God begins His pursuit of us, He will never let us go.
No believer can be separated from the love of God, our great Shepherd, Host, and King.
Jehovah God is dwelling within us exactly right now so that we may dwell with Him, both now and forever more.
Let all of His Children raise up!
Bless His holy name!
Jehovah Ra’a, the Lord is our Shepherd, is with us and exactly right beside us, both now and forever more.
Let all of sheep of His pasture turn their heads and give their fullest attention!
Bless His holy name!
The essential truth of our Christian life is that God has come to save us and live in us as “‘Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1: 23).
This is the essential truth of our ministering to the Lord as well.
Forever we are Safe, Sitting in His sanctuary, abiding and residing in His house
Ministering unto the Lord, from within the sanctuary our inner temple, this is our response to the truth of Immanuel.
Because God is with us, abiding in us, and calling us to abide in Him, indeed to become one with Him, even as He and the Father are one (John 15:4, 10:14-15, 17:21-24), we joyfully, innately, instinctively, obediently, we respond, as God’s Own New Covenant priesthood (Revelation 1:5-6, 5:9-10, 1 Peter 2:5-9).
“Ministering to the Lord” (Acts 13:2) is surely what we know we must do, what our spirit within desperately, longingly yearns for, because God does live within us.
So it is a right and good and joyful thing for us to frequent the temple of the Holy Spirit within us (1 Corinthians 3:16), our “inner room” (Matthew 6:6), so we may be with our Lord in His presence, offering praise and adoration, stillness and reflection, gratitude and humility, even as He securely envelopes us in His Own “goodness and lovingkindness.”
The simple point I make here is that the more quality time and frequency we spend in God’s house now, dwelling within us, the more consistently sure we will be, every day, that “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Amen.
Love and dwell with our Lord now and looking forward to our joy of loving Him and our joy of dwelling with Him forever, always remembering with 100% joy that, “we love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19), we live because He lives.
We praise, thank, and bless You Lord God. Yes Lord, we gratefully and joyfully dwell in Your house today.
“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Hallelujah!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 150The Message
150 1-6 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy house of worship,
praise him under the open skies;
Praise him for his acts of power,
praise him for his magnificent greatness;
Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
praise by strumming soft strings;
Praise him with castanets and dance,
praise him with banjo and flute;
Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
praise him with fiddles and mandolin.
Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
Hallelujah!
Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 