A few weeks ago, I was struck regarding a well known Psalm which has made a big impact in my life lately. May I share this with you in this article.

"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 23v6

I would ask for a few moments, that you use a little imagination.
Picture yourself on a cross-channel ferry, watching the land you have left behind recede in the distance. Across the water, stretching almost to the horizon, you will see the fading trail, the wake, of the boat on which you stand. As the huge propellers plough through the sea, they churn up the water to leave this frothing, white-topped pattern behind them. This image is something like the picture given in this Psalm. The Hebrew shepherd would always lead from the front, not behind. Ancient shepherding was an entirely different proposition from the dog-aided cajoling of today.

But as we follow the shepherd and forge ahead, what comes behind us?
For David the miracle of God's shepherding will be seen in the goodness and mercy that followed him. In each place that he went, on each path of righteousness on which he was led, he would leave behind the pattern of goodness and mercy. The presence of God would not only mark his life, it would also mark the places where he had been. Here's a challenge, as Christians we live for Christ, but we must also remember that whatever we do will have an effect on others. What are we leaving behind us?

In the 2nd half of this verse, the Psalmist writes of a 'house'. The house of the Lord is neither a physical building nor some future, mythical paradise. It is the reality of a life lived daily in His company. To dwell in the house of the Lord is to be at home with God, to live in His presence and to be subject to His rules. If you can imagine sharing a house with the eternal God, then you can begin to see the intimacy pictured here.

Here's another challenge! Let God be the first face you see when you wake, and last you say goodnight to. Let His presence shape you décor, your leisure time and even your shopping lists. The house of the Lord is not a building with a text from Joshua displayed in the hall, it is a life lived in the certainty of God's moment by moment presence. Do those who we invite into our lives sense that they are in the 'house of God'? We must also remember to thank Him for making it possible for us to live in His presence.