“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 NKJV]
Have you ever wondered about that phrase … shall follow me? What does it mean to have goodness and mercy follow us?
Actually, in this case, the Holman Christian Standard gives us a better idea. “Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life….”
The word translated “follow” in most translations is “radah” in Hebrew. It means to pursue, chase, and even persecute. It is used often in the context of war. (Read Genesis 14:15, Deuteronomy 11:4, and Joshua 7:2 for examples.)
To think of goodness and mercy or goodness and faithful love simply following us is a bit passive. The LORD’s love and mercy do not just meander along behind us somewhere.
Instead, they have an intense focus … they chase after us like an army would, but unlike an army that seeks to harm, the LORD’s active and relentless love is not seeking to harm us, but to bless us.
Too often people think that when God pursues them it is to take everything away. They think that coming to Christ Jesus as Savior means giving up everything. Instead, God pursues us so that He might bestow His amazing goodness and love, His goodness and mercy upon us in bountiful abundance!
Praise the LORD God Almighty and Bless His Holy Name Forever! Amen
