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“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (v. 6)

Throughout the psalm, the Psalmist has been focussing on the attentive care of his Good Shepherd. His Master is loving and kind, ever watchful over the welfare of the flock. Thus, His sheep can dwell comfortably, feed peaceably and enjoy all of life’s benefits; each one can confidently declare, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (v. 1). Such a caring and kind shepherd bestows grace and blessing upon the flock.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (v. 6a)

Happy and contented, the Psalmist goes on to proclaim his complete confidence in the One Who owns and controls his life: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” It is easy to make this statement when things are going well – when I have my job, my health, my family and my friends. But when I am afflicted, when my company folds up, when I face a family crisis, when friends turn against me, when my world is falling apart, how do I respond? Can I honestly declare, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”?

I am sure we have all faced tough times in the past. How did we fare? Were we not anxious? Were we not tempted to question God, to panic, to bolt and to leave His care, thinking that we can manage better on our own? With our limited finite understanding, we can never fully comprehend God’s ways and workings.

In His sovereignty, the Lord allows unexpected events, which to us seem like utter calamities. He leads us down paths which may appear like blind alleys. For those in the Good Shepherd’s care, no difficulty can arise, no dilemma emerge, no seeming disaster descend on the life without ultimate good coming out of the chaos. In the end, all will turn out for our blessing and benefit (Rom. 8: 28). “All our afflictions and trials; all the persecutions and calamities to which we are exposed - though they are numerous and long-continued, yet they are among the means that are appointed for our welfare … They shall co-operate; they shall mutually contribute to our good. They take off our affections from this world; they teach us the truth about our frail, transitory, and dying condition; they lead us to look to God for support, and to heaven for a final home; and they produce a subdued spirit, a humble temper, a patient, tender, and kind disposition. This has been the experience of all saints; and at the end of life they have been able to say it was good for them to be afflicted (Ps. 119: 67, 71; Jer. 31: 18-19; Heb. 12: 11)” – Albert Barnes.

According to commentator, John Gill, this verse may be rendered - “Only goodness and mercy …” This means that nothing but mere mercy and kindness shall follow God’s children; for though afflictions do attend them, yet these are in mercy and love; there is no fury in the Lord against them all the days of their lives.

Thank God that despite my doubts and my failures, my gracious Shepherd does not give up on me; I am so glad that He continues to bestow upon me His goodness and mercy. “This to me is the supreme portrait of my Shepherd. Continually there flows out to me His goodness and His mercy, which, even though I do not deserve them, come unremittingly from their source of supply - His own great heart of love … All the care, all the work, all the alert watchfulness, all the skill, all the concern, all the self-sacrifice are borne of His love – the One Who loves His sheep, loves His work, loves His role as a Shepherd” – Phillip Keller.

Sharing from his shepherding experiences, Keller observes that sheep, if mismanaged, can be the most destructive livestock; they can ruin and ravage land almost beyond remedy. On the contrary, sheep under an attentive, caring shepherd can be beneficial to the land. Such sheep were so highly esteemed that they were referred to as “those of the golden hooves.” “The manure is the best balanced of any produced by domestic stock. When scattered efficiently over the pastures it proves of enormous benefit to the soil. The sheep’s habit of seeking the highest rise of ground on which to rest insures that the fertility from the rich low land is re-deposited on the less productive higher ground. No other livestock will consume as wide a variety of herbage. Sheep eat all sorts of weeds and other undesirable plants which might otherwise invade a field … In my own experience as a sheep rancher I have, in just a few years, seen two derelict ranches restored to high productivity and usefulness. More than this, what before appeared as depressing eyesores became beautiful, park-like properties of immense worth. Where previously there had been only poverty and pathetic waste, there now followed flourishing fields and rich abundance …”

Goodness and mercy had followed Keller’s flocks. They left behind something worthwhile, productive and beneficial to themselves and others. Where they had grazed, there followed fertility and weed-free fields. Where they had lived, they left behind them a legacy of beauty and abundance. What about me? Having received freely from my Shepherd’s loving hand, what do I leave behind? Do I leave a trail of heartache or sadness? Have I been a blessing, or have I been a bane to others? Is my life a pleasure to people, or a pain?

Beloved, we have received bountiful blessings from our Good Shepherd. Let us honour Him by loving Him in return, and seeking to be a blessing to others. Nothing pleases the Lord more than to see us grow in His grace and knowledge. He longs to see some measure of that same goodness and mercy passed on to others. Let us seek to bless others the way the Lord has blessed us.