June 5 – Hunted down by God

Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days, and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life.  (Psalm 23:6  NET)

Most people are used to a different translation of this verse, the last of Psalm 23. It’s usually translated “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”, but in fact, the Hebrew word that is translated “follow” in some translations, should be translated as “pursue” or “chase”. Psalm 23 is the only place in the Old Testament where these nouns are linked to this verb. “Pursue” is normally used for something that is done to your enemies, or for an animal going after its prey. To find it linked to goodness and faithfulness is ironic and strange, but purposeful on the Holy Spirit’s part. When someone chooses to see God as his Shepherd, and places himself under His care as a sheep, God is so pleased that He will hunt that person down and bless him with goodness and faithfulness. There is no way that one of God’s children can fail to experience these two great blessings; wherever he is in the world, God will chase him down not to hurt him, but to make his life richer and fuller.

This is an important insight into this well known chapter of the Bible. Though Psalm 23 is read by millions, people hang posters of this psalm on their living room walls, and many have committed this chapter to memory, most Christians do not understand the idea that is portrayed in the last verse. We don’t have to beg for God’s goodness and faithfulness, or talk Him into blessing us — as long as we trust in Him as our Shepherd, His blessings will hunt us down and find us wherever we are in this world. Just like the woman with the twelve-year hemorrhage was healed after touching Jesus’ cloak, even before Jesus spoke to her, or knew she was there, the goodness and faithfulness of God is automatically ours when we adopt Him as our Shepherd.

Do you want God to hunt you down in order to bless you? Then make Him your Shepherd and you become on of His sheep — humble, and obedient.