October 16, 2024 BEING PURSUED
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
This is a familiar verse to many and we have likely heard it the form of a song. This verse is a reminder of just how wonderful is the love of God for us. There is one word in this verse that makes this verse all the more wonderful. I am not a Hebrew scholar, but I did look up the original meaning of the word ‘follow.’
Our idea of following is not the same as this Hebrew word. The original meaning of the word follow is ‘to pursue, to chase.’ Wow! Some one referred to mercy and goodness as the ‘hounds of heaven.’ I love that. God is not about showing us His mercy and goodness occasionally; His goodness and mercy are chasing us and pursuing us-all the time. Even when we fall short, His goodness and mercy are pursuing us. When we do fall, He is calling us back to Him; He does not make us ‘sit us in the corner’ as punishment but invites us to confess our wrong and immediately receive His forgiveness and again enjoy fellowship with Him. When we know the love of God for us personally, we naturally want to walk in His ways. God has set His heart on us and He will accomplish what He wants; He wants a people for His own possession. While in this earthly body, we can work with Him as He works in us as He transforms us into His own image. Today, let us realize afresh that God desires to bless His people. Our part is to have our hearts turned to Him and to seek to know Him; and the primary way to get to know Him is in reading and studying His word. If we listen close, we can hear the barking of the hounds of heaven-they are on our trail!
Lamentations 2:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Luke 1:50 “And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Blessings, Budd
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
This is a familiar verse to many and we have likely heard it the form of a song. This verse is a reminder of just how wonderful is the love of God for us. There is one word in this verse that makes this verse all the more wonderful. I am not a Hebrew scholar, but I did look up the original meaning of the word ‘follow.’
Our idea of following is not the same as this Hebrew word. The original meaning of the word follow is ‘to pursue, to chase.’ Wow! Some one referred to mercy and goodness as the ‘hounds of heaven.’ I love that. God is not about showing us His mercy and goodness occasionally; His goodness and mercy are chasing us and pursuing us-all the time. Even when we fall short, His goodness and mercy are pursuing us. When we do fall, He is calling us back to Him; He does not make us ‘sit us in the corner’ as punishment but invites us to confess our wrong and immediately receive His forgiveness and again enjoy fellowship with Him. When we know the love of God for us personally, we naturally want to walk in His ways. God has set His heart on us and He will accomplish what He wants; He wants a people for His own possession. While in this earthly body, we can work with Him as He works in us as He transforms us into His own image. Today, let us realize afresh that God desires to bless His people. Our part is to have our hearts turned to Him and to seek to know Him; and the primary way to get to know Him is in reading and studying His word. If we listen close, we can hear the barking of the hounds of heaven-they are on our trail!
Lamentations 2:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Luke 1:50 “And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Blessings, Budd
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