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Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.  Psalm 23:6

Stephen Lawson of Ligonier Ministries tells this story regarding goodness and mercy.  

Dwight L. Moody, a famous evangelist of the nineteenth century, was once approached by a woman who needed counseling. Two men, she claimed, were following her. Whenever she stepped onto the city trolley, they stepped onto it behind her. When she stepped off, they stepped off. With a nervous twitch in her neck, she insisted that she had even been followed to his office by these very two men.

Moody could easily detect that this precious woman was suffering from a mental delusion. There was no one following her. But to put her at ease, he told her: “Those two men following you are David’s men. Their names are Goodness and Mercy.” He turned in the Bible to today’s scripture and showed her, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life.” She was relieved and exclaimed: “That is wonderful. I have always wondered what their names are.” The woman left that day with peace of mind, comforted to know that it was goodness and mercy that were following her.

Is this reasonable to think that this is true?  If I look at ‘follow’ in Hebrew, the word if jirdepuni, meaning ‘to pursue.’The intent of God to bless us is so strong that it does pursue us.  Warmed to the core of my spirit, I think of this from Psalm 139.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

I can run from God, or try to, but I am pursued because I am His and He loves me.  His desire to bless me is what moves Him to go wherever I go.  He is not a stalker; a menacing presence.  He is the Shepherd who never, not even once, loses track of one of His sheep.  

God is Good.  God is Mercy.  Surely ‘Goodness and Mercy’ shall follow me.  Some of God’s children proclaim that they feel cursed, that trouble follows them.  Although there are times we are out of His will, we are never out of His care.

I will never be lost because You will never lose sight of me.  Love is my shadow.  Amen

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You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  Psalm 23:5

There are two stunningly beautiful things about this verse.  

1. There is a table that is being set for me, prepared by God Himself.
2. It’s on display for my enemies.  

God prepares sumptuous meals no matter the season.  When I’m resting, it’s green grass to nibble on and enjoy.  When I’m working, it’s fuel for my labors.  When I’m with kindred spirits, it’s the fodder for rich conversation.  And when I’m with enemies, it’s my life-source for strength.  Nothing else will sustain me. 

The thing is ~ it’s the same Word ~ with the same power ~ from the same Father ~ all the time.  What changes is my need and my application.   The more dire the circumstances, the more life-giving the spiritual meal. 

It is humbling enough that God prepares the feast.  Even if He didn’t customize what’s on the table, I would be in awe that He called my name to come and dine.  But considering that He has anticipated my circumstances ahead of time and discovering that the table spread out before me reveals delicacies fit for royalty, I am arrested in place by this kind of love.  Who does this?  Once in a lifetime would be enough but this banquet table is there any time I want to go partake of it.  

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  I John 3:1

Do my enemies discern that such a spiritual meal exists?  Oh yes, and it confounds them.  They wonder why I don’t give up, why I still trust God, why I’m not bitter, why I’ve not conceded in the battle, and why I have the strength to keep going until the end.  They may not see the awe-inspiring spread on God’s banquet table up close, but they know it’s there.  They see its effects.  

As God is preparing and serving your feast, he makes your enemies sit on the outer fringe of the scene and watch everything unfold. They see the Lord himself spreading your table with food, escorting you to your seat and waiting on you. Then they watch as you fill up your soul with heaven’s delightful fare. I tell you, no demon power, including the devil himself, could ever comprehend this kind of love, mercy and grace.             From David Wilkerson

Lord, I smell the bread baking and hear the wine being poured.  I’m coming.  Amen

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He leads me in paths of righteousness . . . Psalm 23:4a

The beauty of walking slowly through a passage is being able to look at every little thing as if it were a new gift to unwrap.  As someone well-seasoned in Bible study, I can just assume (especially if I can recite the 23’rd Psalm from memory) that I understand a phrase like ‘paths of righteousness.’  I don’t and I’m still learning.   

I have often asked, and perhaps you also voice these questions ~ “Why does God make it so hard?  Since He promises to lead, and since He tells me that I am a sheep who cannot find my way on my own, why not speak louder so that the path is unmistakable?”

God is all about growing me up into the stature and maturity of His Son.  If I can take God by the hand and not have to think for myself at all, isn’t this the stuff of toddlerhood? Infant faith begins with this kind of baby steps but mature faith encompasses the ability to engage my intellectual faculties to the glory of God. 

“Those who are skittish when it comes to rigorous study, deep thinking, and theological precision have wanted us to believe that our problem is the mind, when in fact it’s the flesh.”  Sam Storms

I must learn to train my mind, to know how to build precept upon precept, in the artful ways of wisdom.  Sound decisions are, more often than not, made by a student of the Word who has set out to learn the mind of God, through Scripture, with abject humility.  

Yes, great knowledge presents a temptation to be proud but it is not knowledge that is the enemy.  It is my pride.  Paths of righteousness are ever before me.  God makes them clear for every level of spiritual development.  Milk for the babes; meat for the mature.  And, in that light, I can know that God will grant me the humility to listen, the grace to obey, but He also encourages every intellectual pursuit to be harnessed to the truth of the Scriptures.

I can be lazy and want to be led like a baby.  Forgive me.  Amen

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The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23:1

In the daytime, sheep are put out to pasture.  They graze, nap in the sun, even play.  At nighttime, they go back into the sheepfold to sleep in safety. Day after day, and night after night, their way of life is unchanged.  Their familiar routine offers security, abundance, and relationship.

The rhythm of a Christian’s life, the person who knows Jesus, should also be one of resting, grazing, and working.

• When threatened by wild animals, I run back to my shepherd, and to the safety of the fold.  My heart may be beating wildly but nothing can hurt me outside of His will if I stick close to Him.  Restorative rest is a promise He gives me.
• When following the Shepherd, I enjoy abundant spiritual food.  The Word of God is a pasture, always green.  It must surely resemble the lush green landscapes of New Zealand, the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen.  Take a back country road and what you see around every turn is another pasture of sheep.  Each view is a postcard.  The food Jesus provides for me, meditatively and instructively, is the likings of the finest pastures.
• When I have eaten sufficiently, work awaits.  The work is not abusive.  It is not laden with high expectations without the foundation of proper nourishment and proper equipping.  The shepherd has given me both.  He has fed me, He has tutored me, and He has trained me.  My work is the culmination of His promise.  “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Work in the context of a relationship is the key to a joyous calling.

When this rhythm exists, the rest of the Psalm makes sense.

Your pastures are so green and satisfying, Jesus.  I have rested, I have eaten, and now I will work.  In Jesus name, Amen

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For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  Roman 8:14

Isn’t everyone who lives on planet earth God’s child?  Many think so and refer to the human race as children of God.  It is a warm, fuzzy concept but untrue.  Everyone who lives on planet earth is God’s creation but not necessarily His child.  The dividing line is what each one does with Jesus.

In John 8, Jesus told a few Jewish people, including its leaders, that the only ones who were really disciples were the ones who followed Him.  Those who didn’t accept Him as the Messiah and follow His teaching were slaves of sin.  The Jews were indignant, insisting that they were related to Abraham and were not slaves to anyone.  Had they forgotten that they had been slaves of many nations during their long history?  And even while they were saying this to Jesus, they were under the domination and authority of the Roman Empire?  Pride does obscure the naked truth!

It is not possible to be led by the Spirit of God if I have not embraced Christ. Why? Because the Spirit of God will lead me to think and act like Jesus. His Words and His actions will challenge my own thoughts and actions most every moment I am alive. His Spirit will call me to do what is against my old nature. Submitting to the steep climb will not be possible without loving the One I follow. It will be too hard to sustain the pace without the fuel of love propelling me upward.

Another paraphrase of today’s scripture is this, from Jesus’ teaching.  All who love Jesus will prove it by listening to and obeying His Spirit. Deferring as a way of life defines sons and daughters of God.

Even now, the thought of following you in the hard things makes me feel alive. There is an ache to walk the path of Your Spirit.  Amen

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.  Hebrews 10:12-13

The enemy of God is the god of the anti-kingdom.  He does not war silently.  Peter says that he is like a lion and his roar is ferocious.  In the plains of Africa where lions roam, I’ve read that a lion’s roar can be heard five miles away if there are no competing noises.  I can picture what happens with the sound, can’t you?  Every potential prey stops what they’re doing to listen and discern how close, or how far away, their predator is.  Every living thing is on edge.

While there are certainly periods in my life that are peaceful, they are short lived.  I feel the enemy’s breath on my cheek.  His roar is the bedfellow, and the precursor, of spiritual attacks.  He customizes devastation to hurt as much as possible.  He targets my areas of weakness.  He waits for my vulnerable moments.  Where the ground is shaky beneath my feet, he lies in wait for the perfect moment to gain the upper hand.

I dream of the day when I will see consistent evidence that every enemy is under God’s feet. The picture is that of a Ruler who wins the battle against an opposing king.  Victorious in battle, he puts his foot on the neck of the enemy as a sign of conquest and subjugation.

As a child of God, I am waiting for the time when every spiritual enemy of Christ will be visibly under the authority of King Jesus.  Victory has already been declared now but I do not see that sweeping defeat as a reality.  Not yet.  There is still fighting and while I engage in the battle, where is my King?  Seated at God’s right hand in a position of rulership.  Where are His enemies?   Already beneath Him.  Look how Satan’s kingdom is described as ‘levels of rule and authority, power and dominion’ and Jesus is above them all.

 God seated Jesus at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And He put all things in subjection under His feet.  Ephesians 1:20-21

At this present time, and from my earthly perspective, I am unable to see that reality.  But one day I will.  Until then, I must know who my Victor is.  I must believe that He has authority, and has conferred that authority upon me, to rule over our spiritual enemies on His behalf.  Satan will continue to act as though he still has all the power if I let him.  The Word of God is my sword and God will show me when and where to speak it, to impose limits and parameters to the activity of the anti-kingdom.  During this brief period when Satan is still allowed to roam the earth and wield some destructive powers, the church must battle and look forward to the day when every enemy will be vanquished, put under God’s feet, and then eternally subjugated.

Without You, I’m no match for them.  With You, and in You, there’s no contest.  The victory is Yours and the victory is mine.  Amen

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he opened his mouth and taught them. Matthew 5:1-2

Jesus withdrew from the crowd, went up on the mountain by himself, and was joined by his disciples. He began to teach the beatitudes. Humanly speaking, His sermon could have benefited the crowd he left behind but instead, Jesus chose to share it with His chosen few. Some messages just aren’t for everyone.

The beatitudes were a collection of kingdom principles so difficult that only the ears of His true disciples could understand them. Religious leaders wouldn’t have grasped them because the spiritual posture of each beatitude could only be understood through a relationship with Jesus. True spiritual understanding is theology learned through relationship, through a deep intimacy with the Savior.

I have heard some anointed messages in my lifetime. By earthly definition, they weren’t always insightful or clever. Something otherworldly was going on. From the time the speaker opened his mouth, my heart was burning. As truths poured out in quick succession, I was too stunned to take notes. The message went to so deep a place that I couldn’t have explained to anyone what I had heard. My body felt heavy under the warm hand of God and I just prayed someone had recorded it.

Such is the impact when reading the beatitudes. When I take them in slowly, I am stunned by Jesus’ words. Each one is too hard for me to apply. I can wonder why Jesus would give a sermon like this if it’s impossible for me to apply it.

The beatitudes hold up a mirror to His perfection and allow me to see my fatally flawed reflection. Each one describes Jesus and I recognize my need for the Holy Spirit.  Without a personal Pentecost, I am unable to walk by the power of the Spirit.  With it, the essence of each beatitude can begin to bubble up in my regenerated heart. I won’t have to live as an actress, appearing one way while hiding inner corruption. I can be authentic through and through; admittedly imperfect but in the process of supernatural change.   

Fill me with Your Spirit. Repentance and dependence will characterize my life. Amen

On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.  Genesis 7:13

COVID19, and the slower pace of life it has introduced, has given many opportunities for in-depth conversations with family.  This morning, as Ron and I sat down to watch our church service online, he turned to me and asked this question.  “When you get to heaven, who would you be interested in talking to?  Someone that isn’t a mainstream biblical character?”  I sat for over a minute in silence before answering.  Finally, I knew.  Noah’s wife.

Isn’t it true that the spouses and children of prominent people are often the most interesting?  They haven’t had a voice as they’ve quietly lived behind the scenes.  They’ve seen so much but said so little.  We may know how their ‘famous loved one’ feels about many things but we cannot assume they are a carbon copy in their beliefs and perspectives.  

Noah’s wife lived with Noah hundreds of years before God spoke to him with a mandate to build a boat.  What kind of person was he before the call?  How did she experience him?  Did they have a good marriage?  We don’t know but we assume the answer is yes simply because he listened to God and followed the difficult path of obedience.  But not every believer is a Christ-like mate.  Life is messy and man is sinful.  

What was it like for Mrs. Noah to support him while he built the ark?  How many nights did he want to quit?  Did she ever despair of his health when she saw the toll it was taking on him?  How did she handle the criticism of the world around her?  It’s one thing to be personally criticized but quite another to see someone you love suffer ridicule. What were her thoughts about the ark?  Did she ever doubt that her husband had heard God’s voice?  

And what did she think and feel on that morning that it was time to board the ark with her family?  When she heard the mighty sound of God’s hand shutting the door, did she fear of what would come next? She had no experience with a boat on open seas.  She’d never seen a mud puddle!  

So many of our thoughts are of heaven these days.  We long for the stability of the kingdom and the righteous rule of Jesus as King. Like Noah, we see a depraved world that is disintegrating more and more into lawlessness.  We are much like Noah’s wife, mere witnesses on the sidelines.  She holds such intrigue this morning.  

You have your own answer to Ron’s question.  One day you will pull up a chair.  You’ll make a cup of coffee, or iced tea, and share a 1,000-year conversation with your person of interest.  Relish the anticipating.  Such is the stuff of the kingdom and such are the ruminations of the saints.  Our deferred hope has many shades and pictures.  My fireside chat with Mrs. Noah is my daydream today.

Don’t let me be afraid to read the scriptures with holy imagination.  Amen

But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? Hebrews 2:5-6

A little boy attempted to recite the Lord’s prayer.  He said, “Our Father, who art in heaven, how do you know my name?”  That child had no idea he was capturing the wonder of these verses.  He misquoted the prayer but correctly summarized this direct quotation from Psalm 8.  On a distant hillside, a shepherd boy gazed into the heavens and was awestruck by the privilege of being thought of by God.  All David had to go on were the stories of his ancestors, truths about God from the Torah, and the experience of being part of a nation God called ‘Israel, my glory.’

In 1968, when Apollo 8 circled the moon, the astronauts took turns reading the story of creation.  You might have heard them recite it on archived recordings.  What’s more meaningful than that is when Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon and celebrated communion.  As he did, he read this verse from Psalm 8.  “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?”  It was under radio silence so no one got to hear it.

What does it mean that God is thinking of me today?  Am I a fleeting thought?  Is it like when I run into an old friend and hear them say, “It’s really strange that I would see you today.  Last week, out of the clear blue, I thought of you.”  While that’s slightly meaningful, it’s not life changing.  It’s clear that I was just someone’s stray thought whereas God is preoccupied with me.  With the billions of people on earth, He doesn’t divide His time to think about me for just a split second before moving on to someone else.  He is ever conscious of my every breath, every sigh, every joy, frustration, tears and celebrations.  He is intimately acquainted and eternally committed in Covenant love that He initiated.

On this day, right now, how are you feeling?  Alone, challenged, intimidated, forsaken, perhaps even betrayed?  Savor every word of this love letter.  If it’s familiar, don’t read it on auto pilot.  Take your time.  It’s one of many expressions of love but a perfect one for this moment in time.  Allow the wonder of what it means to belong to God infuse new iron into your foundation.

But now the Lord who created you, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

Isaiah 43