"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6 (NIV)
The 23rd Psalm ends on the same note that it started-God is a God of relationship with people and with that relationship comes his Divine Security. David refers to the Lord as my Shepherd which speaks to his intimate, tender and loving care for us. That brings us a great sense of security in times of grief. Now we come full circle in this chapter as David declares God's divine security over us in two dimensions.
The first dimension of God's divine security is his promise that we will see his goodness and mercy today. Not tomorrow-TODAY! Our Shepherd wants to make sure that our security is not something we have to wait for. It is here right now, especially in your moment of grief. In Psalm 27:13 David declares, "I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
Grief has a way of chipping away at our sense of security. When someone is suddenly taken away from us and things will now never be the same again, we are shaken to our core and our sense of security feels like it has been snatched away like a rug from under our feet. It is during this moment that we have to remind ourselves of the truth that though our world has been turned upside down, God's promise of divine security remains constant and unchanging. Just because we can't see or feel it doesn't mean it isn't there.
As you navigate through your grief it is important to remind yourself daily, maybe even hourly, that surely goodness and love are following you. Don't just read it. Speak it. Speak it often. You will find that your declaration of faith will eventually change how you feel.
The second dimension of God's divine security is his promise that you have a place reserved for you right at your Shepherd's side for the rest of eternity. Jesus is preparing a dwelling place for you with his very own hands. The hands that are right now carefully holding you and caring for you are the same hands that are at work preparing a place for you so that you can dwell with him forever. Talk about security! You can rest secure in the fact that you will see him face to face and you will also see your loved ones again.
I pray that as you walk through moments of grief that the overwhelming sense of God's divine security would lift you up and strengthen you. Instead of being overwhelmed with sorrow, may his overwhelming goodness and grace envelop you.
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