The Shepherd’s Promise
Psalm 23 is a poem about God as our Shepherd. It’s all about how God knows what is best for us. He knows who we are and the paths we should walk in life. Because He is our Shepherd, He also is our Protector, guarding us from evil.
At the end of Psalm 23, there is a promise for us. For those who follow God and listen to His guidance, the writer says that goodness and mercy will follow us.
What does it mean that God’s goodness and mercy will follow us?
It doesn’t mean that life will go according to our plans. It also doesn’t mean life will be free of pain and problems. Psalm 23:4 tells us that we will still have to walk through dark valleys in life.
Here’s what it does mean: God will always be with us. God will always be good to us. Life may not always be easy, but God promises to always be good.
Because of these truths, the writer of this Psalm says that his desire is to be with God in God’s house forever. We ought to desire the same thing as well. It’s because of God’s goodness and mercy that we will one day join Him in heaven to be with Him forever.
Take some time today to consider God as your Shepherd, who cares for you and protects you. Thank Him that His goodness and mercy will never end but will follow you every day of your life.
Truth Changes Everything
Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.
Good news changes everything.
But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.
But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.
But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the...