All the Days of My Life
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All the Days of My Life
King David ends the 23rd Psalm with verse 6, singing,
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life.
Wow! That’s when a person’s thoughts could run wild with all of the good things and all of the lovingkindness they can imagine having in this world. There could be a nice house, riches, tons of friends, success, and all sorts of stuff. But, when we consider the whole Psalm, David had something much better and more lasting in mind. The whole 23rd Psalm reads,
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
From the beginning, David realizes that he is like a very vulnerable sheep that must have the protection of a really good shepherd. In his helplessness, David is ever so glad to have the LORD lead him through this dangerous world. Because the LORD is leading him, David knows he will be given what he needs to make it through this world — “I shall not want.” When we let God guide us, He will give us what we need.
David gets to rest in “green pastures” by “quiet waters”. He is fed the good truths of God Almighty — not the lies of a deceitful world. That is why his soul is by “quiet waters” — a place of peace and surety. The deceitfulness of this world gives people troubled hearts with no peace or surety.
With the truths of God, David’s soul is always being restored because he is being led in God’s righteousness — not his own work righteousness. And God is doing all this “for His name’s sake”. In other words, God makes us a promise to guide and protect us in His truths. The Lord will never renege on that promise, because He is holy, and His promise is true. He will keep His name pure and holy, so that we can always trust it.
David is required to go through scary, dangerous places — “the valley of the shadow of death” and places of “evil”. Even there he is not afraid, because God’s discipline and truth “comfort” him. In the midst of “enemies”, David has the blessings of God’s word reassuring him, God’s eternal truths taking care of his worst fears. We are in a dangerous world, but when God shepherds us, we are constantly receiving spiritual blessings that make us overflow with praise and love for our Savior, who is always strengthening and supporting us, as each trial is overcome. We know we have enough of whatever we need to make it through every evil circumstance, because God is leading us.
All that is why David can declare, “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
No matter how evil tries to defeat us in this world, God is leading us all our days, so that we are sure to reach our heavenly home to “dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
We are not concerned about earthly riches and successes because we are rich and satisfied with the tender love and compassion of the LORD God Almighty as He leads us. Content in God’s care, we say, “Hallelujah! LORD, all that You give us here to sustain us in this life, is powerfully rich and satisfying to our souls. Blessed be Your name.”
Love,
Margaret
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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods
This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30
Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Psalm 33:1
How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3
Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12
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