Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...."
Whenever I see those words, I remember a song sung by my friend Nancy's sister's teen choir. They recorded several songs and put them on an album, and Goodness and Mercy was one of the songs. It's one of those songs that stick with a person, I guess.
What did it mean when David said goodness and mercy would follow him all the days of his life? He hadn't experienced it much yet--Saul was after him, threatening to kill him. David would go though many more years before he saw the kingship Samuel had promised him. And yet, David sounded so confident when he wrote this Psalm. He probably knew there were rough days ahead, but he had confidence in God, enough to keep going and pursuing his goal.
This weekend, I saw two examples of stepping out when it would have been easier to stay home and feel sorry for oneself.
The first one happened on Saturday. I went to a Toastmasters contest in Chico, CA. One of the contestants had lost her beloved husband less than a week before. Yet, she chose to still step forward to represent her Toastmasters club and her area. I talked with her before the contest, and she said she had to keep going to get through the pain.
The other was a member of our church. A week ago, he had a debilitating stroke--one leg wouldn't work and he couldn't talk straight. Last I heard on Tuesday was that he was in the hospital and not showing much improvement. His wife requested prayers--she wanted him back the way he'd been before. And Sunday----there he was, singing in the choir.
Sometimes, we have to just keep chugging, trusting that the goodness and mercy will come. God is faithful. It will come. Even if it doesn't turn out the way we want or expect...wait for it. Give it some time.
Prayer: Lord, please grant us the ability to wait for the goodness You promise, and to know that Your mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. We love You, Lord, and we give You our praise no matter what. Amen.
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