Psalm 23 – Verse 6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. – Psalm 23:6 NKJV

Over the last several weeks we have gained incredible insight on how deeply our Good Shepherd cares for us. He is always watching out for us, protecting us, guiding us, and making sure our needs are met. This has helped us come to an understanding of how His goodness and mercy have always been, and will always be, poured out in our lives.

W. Phillip Keller puts it this way, “Throughout the study of this psalm, continuous emphasis has been put upon the care exercised by the attentive sheepman. It has been stressed how essential to the welfare of the sheep is the rancher’s diligent effort and labor. All the benefits enjoyed by a flock under skilled and loving management have been drawn in bold lines. Now all of this is summed up here by the psalmist in one brave but simple statement: ‘Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life!’” [1]

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

Let’s take a closer look at the pieces of this declaration.

Surely – I appreciate that this verse starts with the word “surely.” This tells us that there is no doubt. This is a deep assurance that God’s love and mercy will follow us. The original Hebrew word here could also be interpreted as “only.” And some Bible translations begin with that word, rather than “surely.” Ponder that for a moment: “Only goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life.”

This doesn’t mean that David was naive about reality and life. Recall that scholars believe the twenty-third Psalm was written later in David’s life, after he faced many challenges. So what this means is that David can look back at his trials and his mistakes, and he can see how through it all God’s goodness and mercy were there. Life’s difficulties might be great, but God’s goodness and mercy are greater.

Goodness and mercy – These two words are who God is. He can never be anything contrary to who He is because He never changes. This gives us another assurance that we will always have His goodness and mercy.

“Our moods may shift, but God doesn’t. Our minds may change, but God doesn’t. Our devotion may falter, but God’s never does. Even if we are faithless, he is faithful, for he cannot betray himself (2 Timothy 2:13). He is a sure God.” [2]

Goodness – In our English translations this word doesn’t have as much of an impact as the Hebrew word.

“Goodness is almost too big a biblical term to describe. The Hebrew word David used refers to goodness in its broadest sense, covering physical, moral, practical, economic, spiritual, emotional, and eternal grace toward us in all its dimensions.” [3]

We often say, “God is good.” And that’s try. However, that statement sounds weak in comparison to how vast God’s goodness is. And because we are His beloved children, His unlimited goodness follows us all of our days.

Mercy – Different Bible translations express this word as love, unfailing love, faithfulness, lovingkindness, or faithful love. When we add those words in, it broadens our perspective. “Surely goodness, mercy, unfailingly love, and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life.”

There are numerous authors who portray goodness and mercy as two sheepdogs in the herd. Sheepdogs are loyal and energetic. So I picture them being relentless when it comes to their duties. And similarly God is relentless in His goodness and mercy.

Follow – Many scholars agree that this was a weak translation and would be better portrayed as “pursue.” Let’s think about that for a moment – “Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life.” That gives us a whole new outlook. Being followed could be seen as trailing behind. The word “pursue” on the other hand has more of an impact. It leaves an impression of diligence. We might picture more of a chase. And now we can see why some authors use the analogy of two sheepdogs.

All the days of my life – There was a time in my life when I was far from God. Perhaps many of us can say the same. Yet, even when we were far away, God’s love pursued us. He left the ninety-nine to come after us and bring us back to the flock. (See Luke 15 and Matthew 18:12-14.)

Looking at the past and the ways God has been there for us before, and thus realizing how God is faithful and will be there for us in each day ahead, this helps us to declare – “Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” May we praise God and express our gratitude for His unfailing love – all the days of our lives.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

These words have a twofold impact for us as Christians. First, while we are here on earth, we will always have the Lord’s presence with us.

In John 14:16-17 (NKJV), Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit will always be with us. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

The original disciples needed to wait for the Holy Spirit to be sent. However, for us, we have the Holy Spirit as soon as we give our lives to Jesus.

There is a particular Greek word used in the verses above that I want to point out. It occurs twice as the words abide and dwell, which are both the same original word with a meaning of: “To stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):—abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry.” [4]

When we became Christians, the Holy Spirit came to live inside us. And considering the meaning of the original words spoken by Jesus, He is saying that the Holy Spirit will continually dwell in us.

Dr. Charles Stanley wrote, “I often hear Christians pray to invite God’s Spirit to join them. The truth is, we don’t need to invite the Lord to come into our presence. We are always in His presence! We are never apart from Him.” [5]

What a gift it is to know that the Lord’s presence is always with us. We can dwell with Him all of our days. We can call on Him day and night. Anytime we need His help, He is already there to help us, guide us, and bring us comfort.

And when we depart from this earth, we will be with the Lord for all eternity. Jesus said in John 14:2-3 (NKJV), “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

For all eternity we will be with Jesus in heaven. The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16 (NIV) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (emphasis added). These words were spoken by Jesus Himself. And He promised us eternal life when we believe in Him.

I admit I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the thought of “forever.” It’s hard to fathom something that has no end. Yet heaven is our eternal home.

Philippians 3:20 says that our citizenship is in heaven. Our time on this earth is temporary. And when we compare it to our time in heaven, our time on this earth is only a blink. This reminds me of the importance of being present here and now. Each moment is a gift from God. Every day we have the opportunity to make the most of our time, enjoy our lives, and work for the Kingdom of God.

“He is leading us home, yes, but the way to his house is a scenic route we need to savor.” [6]

This is the final verse in Psalm 23 and therefore concludes this series. I hope you have enjoyed this study as much as I have. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

© 2018-2025 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

[1] A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. Copyright © 1970, 2007, 2015 by Phillip Keller. Published in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Zondervan.

[2] Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms: Hope and Encouragement from Psalm 23 by Max Lucado. Copyright © 2002, 2009 by Max Lucado. Published by Thomas Nelson.

[3] The Lord is My Shepherd by Robert J. Morgan. Copyright © 2013 by Rob Morgan. Published by Howard Books.

[4] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3306/kjv/tr/0-1/

[5] When the Enemy Strikes © 2004 by Charles F. Stanley. Published by Thomas Nelson.

[6] The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host © 2023 by David Gibson. Published by Crossway.