The last verse of the Psalm focuses on a big picture of where our Good Shepherd is leading us. The life with our Good Shepherd is a life where God is with us and we “dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. God’s house is the place of refuge, blessing, and wholeness. God’s house is abiding in reconciliation and relationship with our Good Shepherd. It is not only a future reality but something we can encounter in our experience by faith today. Our challenge is to stay with our Good Shepherd in the increasing belief that God truly desires to be with us. This is why David tells us that goodness and mercy (or love) chase us down. Goodness and mercy pursue us like a predator might pursue prey! It’s not something we have to earn, but a gift we receive by grace. Jesus has promised us that his “Father’s house has many rooms”. There is room for all who respond to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow after him. The question we all must ask is will we surrender to the goodness and mercy that is chasing us down?
Home Church Questions:
1. In what significant ways has God’s goodness and mercy been manifested in your life? Please share with your group.
2. Revisit a challenge or undesirable circumstance you found yourself in this past week (or recently). Can you identify the threads of God’s goodness and mercy even within those circumstances? Please share with your group.
3. God’s house is our final destination. 2 Corinithians 5 verses 1-10 speaks of the longing we have as mortals to finally be clothed in our “eternal dwelling”. Read this passage as a group. Do you share the longing for heaven that the apostle Paul describes in this passage? In what ways could keeping your final destination- your eternal dwelling- in mind affect the way you live here on earth?
4. Now that our series on Psalm 23 is completed, which part of the Psalm resounds in you the most? Revisit the 6 verses of this Psalm in its entirety and share any other highlights from teachings on this Psalm preceding this one, reminding each other of the richness of this Psalm’s truths, and taking some (or all!) of them with you moving forward.