Meditation for Monday
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 old Bishop’s Bible, which predates the King James Version, renders the last phrase in today’s text as ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord for a long time’. Just as a sheep in the Good Shepherd’s flock can anticipate enjoying the comfort and protection of the Shepherd all its life, so too we can anticipate the rest of our days here on earth to be within the sheltering wing of our Lord. And when these days are over, we begin a long time of continuing in His house. What a blessed hope and anticipation!
Surprisingly little detail is provided to us concerning what Heaven is like. My brother-in-law Bob Boyd speculated one time that if God were to give us more details, we would all commit suicide so we could get there sooner. I don’t know if I agree with that, but God has wisely kept from us much of the wonder and joy that await us.
What is the focus of the sheep’s attention as it gathers with the flock? The shepherd, of course. What is the focus of our attention when we gather to break bread tomorrow? Our Shepherd, the Good Shepherd Who gave His life for the sheep. It will be the same in the Glory…our attention and focus will be the One who holds our attention now. All that Heaven will be to us will be what we can appreciate of Him.
Can we understand eternity? No, we are so bound by time that we cannot even approach mealtime without looking at a watch or clock to see if it is time to be hungry. The ‘long time’ of today’s verse is the best we can do with such a concept. Oh, the joy of a sinless eternity with Him.
Praise the Shepherd for His eternal provision. -Jim MacIntosh