There’s a reason Psalm 23 is the favorite psalm of many. It’s a beautiful picture of how the Lord tends, protects, feeds, and guides his people. David could have simply stated God’s goodness, but he gave us an image of a good shepherd watching over his sheep. We take comfort in that psalm because it covers all our needs.
What we often miss, however, is the impact of the last verse. Goodness and mercy (or goodness and love, depending on the translation) will follow us all the days of our lives. The word for “follow” can literally mean “pursue, chase, hound.” God’s goodness doesn’t just tag along behind us. It hunts us down. It hounds us until we see it. He doesn’t just take care of his sheep; he lavishes goodness upon us.
Live with that expectation. You aren’t just tolerated in the pasture of your shepherd; you’re given extravagant blessings from his hand. He makes sure of it, even when you’re focused on everything that has gone wrong or all your worries about your future. His goodness and love will seek you out—relentlessly. Let them find you expecting, hoping, waiting—and being grateful for all you’ve been given.
