QT 8/22/2022 Ps 23:6, My everyday need, mercy

Psalm 23:1–6 (ESV) —

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

4 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.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

 

NOTE: It is a beautiful psalm. I, like many others, have memorized the whole psalm. One could write a commentary many pages long on just this psalm. Since 2012, I've had 5 quiet times in Psalm 23 covering the first five verses. I've never written a thought about verse 6, but as I sat here reading the passage, the first half of verse 6 felt like the message God had for me. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life …"  Now, 45 years after repenting of my sin and putting my faith in God, I can say that goodness and mercy has followed me these last 45 years. Yes, there have been many hard years, but they softened me and changed me, giving me compassion and love to those who are hurting. And mercy, well, I don't think I would be alive without his mercy. I've done stupid things. I am not worthy of his goodness and kindness, yet he continues to shower it upon my life. Oh, I have prayed A LOT for mercy because it is the one thing I know I need more than anything else. They say "grace" is getting things you don't deserve, but "mercy" is not getting the things you do deserve. I've received much grace and mercy these last 45 years, but mercy has been the most needful.

 

PONDER:

1. Do you realize how important mercy is to the Christian life? And even more importantly, do you realize why?

 

PRAYER: Father, I am so unworthy of your grace and mercy. I can understand Paul calling himself the worst of sinners many years into his Christian life. The more we come to know you, the more we see your holiness, and the more we see our unholiness. And our hearts cry out for mercy! Like Isaiah cried, “Woe to me! … I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”