Wednesday, March 11, 2023

Scripture

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” Psalm 23:6

Reflections

Biblical scholar, Chad Bird, elaborates upon one word in Psalm 23.  The word is “follow”; “surely goodness and mercy shall ‘follow’ me all the days of my life”.  When we think of the word “follow”, we might picture a puppy dog following its owner around.  But in the original language, the word for “follow” is RADAPH which means to chase after, pursue, or be on the heels of someone.

That’s what the goodness and mercy of our Lord God is like.  He chases after us.  He pursues us.  He’s at our heels.  He does not give up on us.  We may go astray and get into trouble.  Yet, He is our good shepherd who seeks us out to rescue us.  He has his rod in hand to guide us.  His staff is ready to help get us out of trouble.  No matter how far we run, his goodness and mercy are right behind us.  All we need to do is turn around and see that He has not given up on us.  He is right there to deliver us.  His ultimate desire is for us to be safe with Him both now and forever.

This is our Lord God.  He pursues us with his love.  Jesuit priest J.F.X. O'Conor reflected on a poem called “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson; “The hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase, with unhurrying and unperturbed pace, so does God follow the fleeing soul by His Divine grace.”

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for never giving up on me.  Thank you for your goodness and mercy.  Thank you for the promise that I will be with you forever.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Full Reading: Psalm 23