Psalm 23:6 - Your Best Life: Yet to Come

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

-Psalm 23:6

The ladies at Faithful Bloggers are hosting a group writing project on Psalm 23. I have chosen to write about verse six, a verse full of hope and promise--yet one that has been terribly misused and over-applied in American churches today.

The Word of Faith teachers have taken the first half of this verse to mean that every day will be filled with happiness. One of the most popular books today is Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen. On page 5 he says, "God wants this to be the best time of your life." But is that true? Is that really what God has said in His Word?

Millions of Christians around the world today are persecuted and even killed for the faith. Is this their best life? Meeting in secret? Fearing for their lives and the lives of their children? Praying that someone will smuggle a Bible? Seeing pastors, brothers and sisters in Christ arrested, beaten or killed for the faith? No, this is not their best life.

The Apostle Peter wrote the following to the persecuted church:

 "In this[the eternal salvation yet to come] you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

-Peter 1:6-7

James 1:2-4 says this:

 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

God's goodness and mercy are evident in our lives even in the toughest of times. The trials that come our way, even as believers who are free, refine us and conform us to the image of Christ, preparing us to be presented blameless before Him (Jude 24). We see these truth in Romans 8:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing that comes our way in this life can separate us from the love of Christ. His mercy and goodness will follow us all the days of our lives.

This brings us to the second part of the verse:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Jesus says in John 14:1-3:

 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  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."

So who will dwell in the house of the Lord? The redeemed of Christ. All believers from all eternity. This Psalm was written by King David. He will be there. Jesus was addressing His disciples in John 14. They will be there. But the promises of God are only for believers. All paths do not lead to God.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

-John 14:6

For those who have not turned to Christ for salvation, their best life truly is now. The future only holds eternal separation from God and judgment for those who do not believe.

But dear sisters, if you have put your trust in Christ as the only way to salvation, your best life is yet to come--no matter what. He who redeemed you by His blood will keep you until the end.

 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

- John 6:40

We can fully trust in the promises of God. His goodness and mercy WILL follow us all the days of our lives, and we WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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