Psalm 23:5-6

Rest in Your Shepherd’s Love Forever

In yesterday’s devotion we saw that our Good Shepherd has taken care of all of our needs.  He laid down his life for us so that we could be his sheep and rest in his forgiving love.  He even promises to provide all that we need for this life.  With King David, every believer can say, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  he restores my soul.”  Even when danger threatens, we can trust that the Lord is with us and will lead us through the darkest valleys of life.

But the Lord does even more than take care of our needs for this life—he promises to bring us into everlasting life.  In verses 5-6 of Psalm 23 the picture starts to shift from God’s earthly care to the eternal blessedness awaiting all believers in heaven.  The Lord blesses us beyond what we can imagine.  A lavish feast of his blessings is set for us right in front of our enemies, and they can do nothing about it because Christ has destroyed the power of sin, death, and Satan.  Oil is poured upon our heads to heal and refresh us and mark us as God’s chosen ones.  Our cups are so full of blessing that they overflow, and the Lord’s goodness and love follow us wherever we go.  All of these pictures describe God’s love for us right now, but they also point ahead to the time when we will fully experience this love in heaven.  This is what awaits those who continue to trust in the Lord as they pass through the dark valleys of temptation, sorrow, suffering, and even death.

We can also take comfort in the fact that the Lord’s love is not like a gift card or coupon that expires after a certain date.  It continues forever.  God’s love for his people will not end.  The Lord is our Shepherd.  We can rest in his love right now and look forward to enjoying it forever.