“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6
Throughout this familiar Psalm, we’ve walked alongside David as he reflects on his life. He’s shown us what the challenges and changes of life look like when the Lord is our personal Shepherd. In the final verse, however, he’s looking to the future rather than the past. His outlook is especially optimistic, considering the amount of heartache and tragedy he had faced. David closes Psalm 23 by demonstrating how to face the future with certainty.
First, David’s outlook was more influenced by who he had experienced than by what he had experienced. Time and time again, the Lord had provided, protected, and corrected – as a caring shepherd does. As a result, David had the kind of personal and thorough knowledge of his Shepherd that gave him confidence about his future. We, too, can trust the Shepherd’s proven character. No matter what we experience in this life, we can be certain that God’s goodness and lovingkindness are also present.
Next, David pre-determined how to spend the remainder of his life. “And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord” (AMP). As believers, we know that we’ll spend eternity with the Lord, but forever has already begun! The result of knowing the Lord intimately is that we want to spend time in His presence and in His house. The ability to face the future with certainty is bolstered by gathering with other believers. We encourage one another by following the Good Shepherd together.
How’s your outlook today? If thinking about the future fills you with worry and dread, then spend time in God’s presence, giving those concerns to Him. Then determine to gather with other believers in the house of the Lord this week. None of us can be certain of what tomorrow has in store. Yet, we can face the future with certainty when we know the One in control of each tomorrow.