This week’s devotion is based on Week 4 of the series, “David: Finding Peace when I am afraid” (WATCH HERE)
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Fear is often future focused. It imagines what might go wrong, what could be lost, or what pain may still be ahead. Psalm 23 does not deny that the road may include valleys and enemies, but it ends by reorienting our focus. David looks forward and sees not danger pursuing him, but goodness and mercy. This verse reminds us that God is not only with us now. He is already providing blessings into our future.
The word “follow” in Psalm 23:6 is stronger than it sounds. It carries the sense of pursuing or chasing after. David is saying that God’s goodness is not fragile or passive. It is active and determined. Even when fear tells us we are one step away from disaster, Scripture says we are one step away from grace. God’s goodness does not wait at the finish line. It walks the road with us and stays close behind.
These words come from David’s life experience. He knew seasons of blessing, but he also knew years of fear, flight, and failure. He spent time hiding in caves, misunderstood by others, and uncertain about his future. Yet when he looks back, he does not see a trail of abandonment. He sees the steady faithfulness of God. In Psalm 27 he declares, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Fear did not get the final word. Trust did.
Other Scriptures echo this same promise. Lamentations 3 reminds us that God’s mercies are new every morning. “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (La 3:22–23). Romans 8 assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 8:38–39). Philippians 1:6 tells us that the God who began a good work will carry it on to completion. “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Together, these verses form a chorus that speaks over fear. Your story is not unraveling. It is being guided and held together by a God who loves you.
Just like a child walking down a crowded street with a parent doesn’t keep turning around to check if the parent is still there, so God’s children walk through life with the confidence God is there with them. God’s goodness surrounds us more closely than we realize. Even when fear tempts us to rehearse past failures or worry about tomorrow, this verse invites us to walk forward with confidence…forward to heaven!
“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!” Fear loves to shrink our perspective to the moment we are in. Faith expands it. Our future is not uncertain or fragile. It is anchored in the presence of God. No valley, enemy, or loss can undo that promise. Have NO fear…heaven is yours!
Reflect: Where have you already seen God’s goodness in your journey, even in hard seasons? What does it mean for you to believe that your future is secure with God?
Prayer: Faithful God, thank You that Your goodness and mercy follow me all my days. Help me live with hope, courage, and trust in Your promises. Amen.