The Good Shepherd: Devotions Inspired by Psalm 23Muestra

The Two Sheepdogs: Goodness and Mercy 

By Hannah Etsebeth 

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. Psalm 121:2–4 (NLT) 

Full disclosure: I’ve been known to trip. In my youth it was the uneven sidewalk or the sunken hole hidden in thick grass. If it existed, I’d find it. In my college years, it seemed to only happen when I was walking near someone I was trying to impress. The sidewalk would tragically change shape while I was in the middle of my stride, my foot would catch it, my ankle would turn, and I’d find myself trying to recover as fast as my tall frame could manage. I rarely succeeded. I like to call it awkward grace. 

Thankfully, sidewalks don’t trip me up these days as much as they used to, but five other things do: my three young children and two tiny Havanese pups. It seems there is always something or someone underfoot. And one thing is for sure: every trip—past and present—has left me feeling either embarrassed or frustrated and sometimes injured. 

My personal clumsiness aside, can you relate? As humans we tend to trip up—whether it be losing our cool when we are pushed to our limit, speaking out of turn, or trying to overcome sin issues. We say or do things we are embarrassed or frustrated by—often leaving ourselves or others injured in one way or another. 

In Psalm 23:6 we read, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me.” In this Psalm about the Good Shepherd, goodness and mercy have often been likened to the sheepdogs that follow at the rear of a herd. Similar to sheepdogs guarding a herd, goodness and mercy walk shoulder to shoulder watching out for us and protecting us from the pitfalls and antagonists in our own lives. 

The Hebrew word for “mercy” in Psalm 23, chesed, means “the unfailing, steadfast covenant love of God.” It’s hard to read that definition and not soak in a greater meaning: the innate goodness of God coupled with His covenant love displayed in the death and resurrection of Jesus. God’s goodness and mercy along with our response to His Son wipes all our sins away. Aren’t you grateful for that?! 

So today if your mind brings you back to places where you have stumbled in the past, remember goodness and mercy are following you. With a head bowed in repentance, bring your prayer to the Lord, and allow His mercy and forgiveness to cover you. And if tomorrow you feel yourself slipping, turn your heart toward your Father who is rich in mercy, and trust He’ll carry you to the other side of the challenge you face. 

Surely, His goodness and mercy are following you. 

PRAYER 

Lord, thank You for the assurance of Your goodness and mercy. I repent of the wrong thoughts, actions, and things in my life and ask that Your forgiveness would wash over me. Help me to live a life that displays the richness of the gift of forgiveness You’ve given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION   

• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one area where His goodness and mercy have shown up for you recently. Take a minute to talk to Him about that experience.   
• Pray about any areas where you’ve been tripping up, lean into God’s goodness, and ask for His mercy.   
• Psalm 100:5 declares the Lord is good, His steadfast love endures forever, and so does His faithfulness to all generations. Ask the Lord to put someone on your heart, then take a few minutes to pray that Scripture over him or her and the generations to come.

Holy Spirit, what are You saying to me today?

MEMORY VERSE

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