Psalm 23:6a
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
This week, take time to go deeper by meditating on the Scripture from Sunday’s sermon and prayerfully applying it to your life. Use these questions to guide your reflection in a journal or notebook.
- Reflect on the word “surely.”
What stood out to you from the sermon about David’s firm assurance in God’s character rather than in changing circumstances? Where are you currently tempted to say “I hope” instead of “I know” when it comes to God’s care for you? - Consider the image of being “pursued.”
The sermon highlighted that “follow” is better understood as “pursue,” like enemies chasing someone, except here it is God’s goodness and mercy in pursuit. When have you felt “hemmed in” by God’s dealings with you, and how might that actually have been His goodness and mercy running you down for your rescue? - Think about the “sheepdogs” of Goodness and Mercy.
Reflect on the illustration of the shepherd’s two dogs working the edges of the flock to keep the sheep near the shepherd’s voice. In what recent situation could you now look back and say, “At the time I felt hunted, but in reality I was being rescued”? - Meditate on God’s goodness in your suffering.
You heard that God’s goodness often shows itself in and through suffering, working all things together for our good and His glory. Where are you currently hurting or confused, and how might God be using that very place to reveal your heart, grow your holiness, and draw you nearer to Himself? - Reflect on God’s steadfast love (hesed).
The sermon described hesed as God’s steadfast covenant love that meets us with mercy, supplies us with grace, and faithfully pursues us all our days. Where are you tempted to doubt this steadfast love right now, and what truths from Scripture (for example, Romans 8:28–39 or Exodus 34:6–7) do you need to rehearse to your soul? - Prayer Response
Write a prayer to the Lord, thanking Him that His goodness and mercy have pursued you “all the days” of your life and will not stop until you are safely home in His house forever. Ask Him to help you interpret both past and present circumstances through the lens of His pursuing love, and to give you confidence for every future day under His shepherding care.