MAY

Like several of the paintings in this calendar- this one holds special meaning.  It is dedicated to my lifelong bestie, Shannon.  

We met in 2nd grade and have been keeping each other laughing ever since.  We learned how to drive together, laughed until our sides have hurt, and have cried together.  When my mom let a few close friends know about my head injury, Shannon hopped in the car and drove 5+ hours to hang out in the hospital parking lot while I was inside.  She brought me granola bars, face wipes and bottled water.  She is my sister and very dear friend.   Thanks for sharing your verse with us this month, Shan.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." -Psalm 23:6

What follows you around?  Your kids? Your dog? Your phone? Your past?  According to this verse, the goodness and mercy of the Lord are what follow you.

This verse begins with the word "surely."  Its not a common word for us today and if I were to use it, it would probably be synonymous with "hopeful" or "wishful."  

The Hebrew word for surely, however, is an adverbial particle.  This means it denotes a very strong, positive assertion of truth.  It is not flimsy or wishful.  In other places, the same Hebrew word is translated to English as certainly, completely, only.

King David is the one who penned our psalm this month.  Think about the life of David for a moment.  He was guilty of adulatory, murder, & lying.  And that's only in one chapter!  I can think of a LOT of things that might have followed David around besides the goodness and mercy of the Lord.  Yet, the same David who had such an awful past wrote "Surely [certainly, completely, only] goodness and mercy shall follow me..."  Jennifer Rothschild says "When David looked back at his life, he didn't see his sin; He saw God's mercy.  When he looked behind him, he didn't see his shame - he saw God's goodness...Where there was guilt, there is now only goodness.  Where there were mistakes, there is now only mercy...God's goodness and mercy covered all the sin and guild of David's past- and now covers yours." (Rothschild, J. (2018). Psalm 23: The shepherd with me. LifeWay Press.)

In Psalm 27:4 King David wrote, "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple."  To dwell in the house of the Lord is to be with Him.  Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit we don't have to wait!  We can be with Him now!  Today and everyday.  

Charles Spurgeon once wrote: "While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be His house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber, I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord for ever." (Spurgeon, C. H. (1882). The Treasury of David (Vol. 1). New York: I.K. Funk & Company.)

If you're looking for an easy way to dive deeper into Psalm 23 I highly recommend A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. It is written by an actual shepherd, who takes each verse of Psalm 23 and explains what it means.  It enriched not only my understanding of Psalm 23 but also what God means when He tells us He is the shepherd and we are the flock.

Until next time, may you carry these words with you...

The Lord is my Shepherd

I shall not be in want

He makes me lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside quiet waters

He restores my soul

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil, for You are with me

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

You anoint my head with oil

My cup overflows

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

Amen