God’s Goodness And Love Are Yours Forever

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:6

Psalm 23 ranks as one of the best-known chapters in the Bible. Unfortunately, many only know it because of its use at funerals. It does talk about eternity. It also speaks of how God loves us now.

Consider the words David wrote as he relayed to us the magnitude of God’s love. Through His goodness and unfailing love, He cares for us as we walk through this life.

In the concluding verse, our verse for today, David, lets us know God will never give up on us. Some people think God hovers over us, waiting for us to make a mistake.

God won’t leave you, no matter what you’re doing or thinking, or who you hang out with. You have a Holy Shadow of God’s goodness and love pursuing you all the time.

We’ve already read verse six, which caps off the promises of the first five verses. Many of us can quote the entire Psalm, but let’s examine how its verses benefit us personally.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1

A few years ago, a fire gutted a building containing multiple apartment units. No one suffered injury, but because the fire spread so quickly, each family lost everything they had.

Two of those families attended our church. Replacing things like ID and credit cards might have become inconvenient, but God supplied everything they needed.

They understood that how a shepherd cares for his sheep, God cares for us. Even if our circumstances aren’t as extreme, we can still count on God for His goodness and love.

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Rest and Peace from the Lord

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:2

In Psalm 46, David wrote a two-stanza song about God’s goodness for then and the future. We can rest assured because of the peace God makes available to each of us.

Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. Psalm 46:10

He said we will watch the glorious works of the Lord as He conquers the world. If we can trust the Lord for eternity, then we can rest in His goodness and love each day.

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Psalm 23:3

We can trust the Lord to give us the strength we need as we live for Him. Both the Old and New Testaments assure us of that promise. Look at what the Bible says about our strength.

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Exodus 15:2
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. Psalm 59:17
Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10

These only represent a sampling of the many places that God encourages us with His strength in His Word. Only a few verses, including Psalm 23, use the term “renewing our strength.”

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Goodness And Love

Renewed Strength

Think about the implication of that term. You can’t renew something if you never had it to begin with. Look what Isaiah says happens to our strength when we put our hope in the Lord.

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

When we allow the Lord to shepherd us, He provides all our needs. He offers us a peace that we can’t understand, renews our strength, and guides us on the right path. David continued;

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4

In this verse, David used the word “when” and not “if.” Thus, he told us that we will encounter walks through dark valleys. But we don’t need to fear those times in our lives.

Because of God’s goodness and His unfailing love, He stays close beside us. David understood that God always stayed with him no matter the circumstances he faced.

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8

Then David used the two symbols of a rod and staff. The rod signifies God’s authority, power, and defense of His sheep, and the staff represents His patience and kindness.

Feast In Your Enemy’s Presence

Verse 5 says, when one of your adversaries confronts you, the Lord prepares a feast for you.

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5

I wasn’t sure what this was all about. But then it dawned on me: God doesn’t want us to fight. So when the enemy wants to scrap with us, God says no. Instead, we can eat while He fights for us.

Immediately after that, the Lord anoints us because of our victories in Him. Do you see what God expects of us? He wants us to totally depend on Him, and when we do, He will bless us.

The Pursuit of the Goodness of God and His Love

I received Christ as my Savior as a young teen. Later in my teenage years, I went wayward during a summer break. Even though I turned my back on God, He never abandoned me.

I found that out when I realized that I still needed the Lord. All along, though, He continued to pursue me with his goodness and unfailing love. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience.

It doesn’t matter what we’ve encountered in life; David assures us of God’s presence. He said, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me.”

Read all six verses of Psalm 23. When you come across the pronouns “I, me, and my,” take them personally as if you wrote them. We can claim each of these promises for ourselves.

Allow the pursuit of God’s goodness and unfailing love to catch you. He ended with a promise that never ends. “I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Yes, that includes you!

Lord, there are times when we get off the path of righteousness. Thank you for your promise that your goodness and unfailing love will continually pursue us.