Psalm 23 concludes with the familiar words, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” When we follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, there will be times when He leads us to look back, and to look ahead. In 28 years of pastoral ministry I have found that most people struggle with these two “areas,” their past and their future.
Some look back with regret, others look back longing to go back (”remember Lot’s wife” Luke 17:32), still others cannot get over the pain from an event in their past. But Jesus leads us to look back and see the fruit of His Spirit that has been planted all along the way, His activity in our past which is both good and merciful.
As for the future, so many look ahead with fear, with doubt, with worry, with dreams of their own apart from God’s plan for their life. But Jesus leads us to see that what we have to look forward to is more of the same (verses 1-5) of His provision, His guidance, His abundance, His healing,…His love. He wants us to see the Father’s House, our home, is where we are headed with Him. And He will lead us there…He came from there…He alone knows the way…He is the way.
Bubba Stahl
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