Psalm 23:6
6 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.
-David paints for us a beautiful picture in Psalm 23 of how the Lord gently leads us through life just as a shepherd caring for a flock of sheep. He closes with this statement in verse 6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”. David’s life of service to God began when he was very young, giving him a wealth of experience to draw from when writing such words. He felt the Lord’s power on him as he defeated a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:36) and watched the Lord deliver Goliath and the Philistines into his young hands (1 Samuel 17:50). David marvelled as the Lord protected him time and again from King Saul (1 Samuel 18-24) before finally giving the kingship to him (2 Samuel 5). My point, Psalm 23:6 is not David’s idea of a naive boast; rather, it was confidence built from God having proven Himself time and again in David’s life. In looking back, David realized that goodness and mercy had been with him every day of his life. It wasn’t much of a stretch for David to realize that surely, that same goodness and mercy would stay with him all the days of his life.
A Tried Stone 