Goodness And Mercy

-May 22, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“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).

David wrote Psalm 23, which is one of the beautiful and familiar portions in the Scriptures. The title of this psalm in my Bible is, “The Lord the Shepherd of His People.

As a young man David was a shepherd boy. He cared for his family’s sheep. He led them, fed them, and protected them. He later communicated to Saul how he killed both a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. David recognized that the Lord is his Shepherd. He is our Shepherd too.

As he comes to this wonderful text, he says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…” Goodness and mercy are attributes of God that we can emulate toward others.

David lived a godly life, staying to the Lord and tasting God’s goodness in a personal way. We often say, “The Lord is good.” Just think, how good the Lord has been to us through the years. Even if circumstances are bad, God is always good. Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

David also writes of the mercy of God. God’s mercy is free, boundless, and rich. He doesn’t give us what we deserve. Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.”

Put together goodness and mercy together, like two strong guardian angels, follow us wherever we go. Some have also used the analogy of two puppies following us.

David was not only a shepherd, a warrior, and a king, but he was a prophet as well. He said that he will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. He looked beyond this earth to heaven in the Lord’s house.

Have a great day walking close to the Lord with His goodness and mercy following our every step. Stay safe and healthy.

Our Shepherd takes care of His sheep whether we wake or whether we sleep.

Dean