Pop Quiz
Which of the following words holds the key to the entire verse? (no pun intended)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
I was reading this verse today and something that I had never noticed about it before finally made sense to me. One word smack-dab in the middle clarifies the entire sentiment; the word "follow."
What a surprising place to find God...behind me. That's not where I think he should be. He should be ahead of me clearing a path. I mean let's face it, humans are not in the habit of looking back. To be successful, we focus on forward. We can't be "great" if we're always looking for good... right?
I'm supposed to pray for God's help and expect him to do some great intervening BEFORE I put myself into a situation that I know is not right for me.
I've been trained to speak the name of Christ, believing that he will jump IN FRONT of a crisis and take the brunt of the unpleasantness for me.
I just have to call on Jesus PRIOR to a meeting or confrontation and I can be sure that whatever comes out of my mouth will be "spirit-led" and right for everyone.
Nowhere in the 23rd Psalm does David say that goodness and mercy will LEAD me all the days of my life...yet that is what I expect...that is what I want...that is what I demand. And that is precisely what I am not given.
He FOLLOWS me with goodness and mercy...
to cover my mistakes,
to give peace to my fears,
to pull me out of the depths of despair,
to provide a witness to my efforts.
He FOLLOWS me with goodness and mercy...
so that my human-ness is not the last impression,
so that my weakness is not the final factor,
so that my strength is not the foundation of success.
My heavenly father pursues me not to protect my heart, but to redeem it...
not to be the author of my faith, but the finisher of it as well.
And when (not if) I fall, there is no place I would rather him be than behind me...to catch me...to hold me...and to clean-up my "greatness" with his goodness.
