Goodness & Mercy Are Chasing You - The Shepherd Who Pursues Us
After exploring the Shepherd’s table and learning how to remain seated in God’s presence, we arrive at the beautiful conclusion of Psalm 23.
In verse 6, David declares with bold confidence:
"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life."
This is not the language of uncertainty. It is the language of a man who had walked through valleys, faced enemies, and experienced the relentless faithfulness of God.
In this episode of Heartfelt Conversations with Diana, we explore what it means to be pursued by the Shepherd Himself. When life feels overwhelming, and fear whispers lies of abandonment, Psalm 23 reminds us that God has not forgotten us—His goodness and mercy are actively following us through every season.
Diana shares personal reflections about seasons of believing the lie that God had abandoned her, and how choosing to trust God’s Word over those lies transformed her thinking and restored her relationship with Him.
As this Psalm 23 journey concludes, Diana introduces the next step in our walk with the Shepherd: the teachings of Jesus in The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7).
Psalm 23 shows us the Shepherd’s care.
The Sermon on the Mount shows us the Shepherd’s way.
Together, we’ll begin exploring how Jesus teaches us to live as citizens of God’s kingdom.
Diana’s Notes
Series: Sitting At The Shepherd’s Table: Psalm 23
Hello everybody!!! And welcome to today’s episode, “His Goodness and Mercy Are Chasing You: The Shepherd Who Pursues Us”, as we wrap up this part of the trail on our journey together. So far, we've been learning how the Shepherd cares for our every need and just starting to tiptoe into learning how to follow Him now that we know He cares… all right here on Heartfelt Conversations with Diana.
Let’s open with the last verse in Psalm 23 - verse 6
Psalm 23: 6 (NLT) Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
You may be more familiar with the King James Version: 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.
Last week, we talked about what happens when we stop jumping up from the table, trying to fix everything in our own strength, and instead learn to remain seated at the table our Shepherd has prepared.
We discovered that when we stay there long enough, something begins to happen in us. Our cup begins to overflow. Not because our circumstances suddenly become perfect, but because we begin to lean fully on the guidance of our Helper, our Advocate, the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit empowers peace in the middle of conflict.
He helps us walk through the valleys of our lives.
He clears the fog from our minds and helps us manage our thoughts.
And He restores our joy.
As David wrote in Psalm 23:5 (NIV):
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
It is when we let go and let God be God. Let Jesus be our Way, and follow the Holy Spirit, Whom our Shepherd gave to us to help us while we are here.
David, who had faced many battles, many nights of fear for his life, many years in the Fight or Flight state, and through all the ups and downs. Through all the mountaintops and valleys, David knew one thing was true: his God was the Living God, and to Him and Him alone David gave all honor and praise and glory and put his trust in Him.
We can see his confidence in Yahweh. Yahweh is the personal, sacred name of God in Hebrew, representing God’s eternal, self-existent nature.
In Exodus 3:14, we see where God tells Moses, I AM Who I AM
Exodus 3:14: (AMP) God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “You shall say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
God simply is!
David knew the holiness of God, the mercy and justice of God, which gave him the bold confidence that he finished the 23rd Psalm within verse 6.
Through every valley and every mountaintop, David came to understand something powerful:
God was not distant from his life — God was pursuing it.
And that is why David closes Psalm 23 with this incredible declaration of confidence.
Not in his ability from years as a shepherd boy, or as a mighty warrior, or as an anointed king, anointed by God Himself even. But as a humble servant of the One True Living God, who gave life to his mortal soul. In God, David placed the whole of his life, in this life, and for all eternity.
Psalm 23:6 (NLT):
"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."
David is saying something remarkable here.
He is saying that when we trust God, when we follow Him, when we wait on Him, we don’t have to try to chase after God, wondering what will make Him happy. Or chase after His blessings by trying to be perfect and hide things we struggle with from Him, rather than taking them to Him. When we surrender our lives to His provision and protection from the Shepherd’s Table, then:
God is the one pursuing us.
His goodness pursues us.
His mercy pursues us.
His love relentlessly follows us through every season of our lives.
The 6th verse is David declaring that he trusts God for every situation in his life, giving us hope, peace, and confidence that we too can trust God to pursue us, chase after those of us who follow Him, trust in Him, and wait on Him; those will be pursued by God. His goodness and faithfulness, His unfailing love for us, His children, who are trusting Him in complete humbleness, He will not leave us defenseless!!
His watch over us is Restless!! Remember Psalm 91:1 from last time -
Psalm 91:1: (AMP) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].
I know it can feel like God may have forgotten about you. I have been there myself. But you have to know that that is a lie from the devil. He wants you to feel abandoned by God so you will go down all the wrong paths searching for something you will never be able to find on your own. You were created to fellowship with God. He is your purpose.
The truth is this: God will never stop pursuing you.
But the truth is also this: As long as you push Him away, as long as you run away, as long as you search and seek after anything but Him, you will never be satisfied. You will always have an unsatisfied hunger until you first come to your Shepherd’s Table and receive His free gift of salvation.
And for those of you who may be like I once was, and believe God abandoned me right when I needed Him the most, I am here to testify before you that we can not receive God’s protection at the table if we have stopped going to it. I avoided the Table because I avoided the relationship. I avoided the relationship because I falsely believed that He did not care about me.
Maybe you’ve believed that lie too.
Sometimes the distance we feel isn't because God moved away — it’s because we stopped coming to the table.
Jesus loves you! He came to destroy every evil thing that tries to rise up against you and your life. A life God Himself gave breath to.
1 John 3 tells us that the Son of Man, Jesus, came to destroy the works of the devil
1 John 3:8: (NLT) But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
He has such deep compassion for you and for every sorrow and burden you carry.
When I finally made the decision to stop believing those lies and start trusting God's Word, everything began to change. The fog of shame and guilt began to lift, and the truth of God began to lead my life again.
And here’s the beautiful part: when we take this journey for ourselves.
Once we learn to sit at the Shepherd’s table…
Once we learn to trust His care…
Once we begin to experience His goodness pursuing us…
The next question becomes:
How do we actually live this life with Him?
What does it look like to follow the Shepherd day by day?
And that brings us to one of the most powerful teachings Jesus ever gave.
It’s called The Sermon on the Mount.
This sermon is found in the book of Matthew, chapters 5 through 7, and it is Jesus’ clearest teaching on what it truly looks like to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God.
If Psalm 23 shows us the heart of our Shepherd…
The Sermon on the Mount shows us the way our Shepherd teaches us to live.
It is Jesus laying out the blueprint for a life built on God's wisdom, God's values, and God's kingdom.
As Pastor Alexa shared in her message, The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ clear and practical vision for the good life — not! the world’s version of the good life, but God’s design for a life that is deeply rooted in Him.
So over the next few episodes, we’re going to begin exploring this incredible teaching together.
But before we leave Psalm 23, let me leave you with three simple pillars to carry with you as we move forward.
Three pillars for building a life with the Shepherd:
First,
Stay seated at the table God prepared.
Second,
Trust God to handle what you cannot.
And third,
Follow the Holy Spirit.
When we learn to stay a little longer at the Table, our Shepherd has prepared for each one of us, little by little, we will learn how to dwell at the Table. That is important…
Because when we learn to dwell…
when we learn to remain…
when we learn to live under the shelter of the Most High…
We begin to experience the life our Shepherd always intended for us.
Ephesians 3:17-20: (NLT) Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Let the Helper, the Holy Spirit, strengthen you from within.
let’s all grab onto Ephesians 3
Also! Just a couple of quick plugs:
Don’t forget to check out the notes for today’s podcast and Pastor Alexa’s message from last Sunday, The Sermon On The Mount. You can also find the link to join us online at Valley Family Church if you do not have a church home. You can find those links and other helpful resources on heartfeltconversations.com
And, please go check out our new Facebook page for Heartfelt Conversations with Diana
Like Us and Follow Us to help us get out the Good News of the Gospel!
Well, my friends, that does it for our conversation on the 23rd Psalms. I hope you enjoyed the series and felt encouraged and strengthened!
“Psalm 23 taught us how to rest with the Shepherd. Now Jesus will teach us how to live with the Shepherd.”
As we begin our next adventure right here on Heartfelt Conversations with Diana!
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it! Psalms 118:24:(NLT)
See ya next time!
Thirst Quenchers
Songs to Inspire You:
Behold The Lamb Of God - Lyric Video | Hillsong Worship
Great Are You Lord - Casting Crowns - with Lyrics
Still - Hillsong United with Lyrics
Foundational Encouraging Verses:
Isaiah 42:16: God’s Word Translation
I will lead the blind on unfamiliar roads. I will lead them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light in front of them. I will make rough places smooth. These are the things I will do for them, and I will never abandon them.
Isaiah 54:10: Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Psalm 119:105: Your word is a light unto our path and a light unto our feet.
Isaiah 54:17: But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Isaiah 52:12: (EASY) But you will not have to hurry and run away. No, the Lord, Israel's God, will keep you safe. He will lead you at the front, and He will be your guard at the back.
Matthew 7:11: So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
1 Peter 2:23 tells us - When He was insulted, He did not answer back with an insult; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but placed His hopes in God, the righteous Judge.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
1 Peter 2:12 says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that… they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”
The New Living Translation reads it this way: Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20: "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Now choose life."
Luke 6:37 “Forgive, and you will be forgiven”.
Matthew 6:14: If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
Romans 8:31 in the AMP Bible tells us: What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?
Psalm 65:11: You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
Psalm 32:8: The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
Proverbs 15:3: The Lord sees everything, whether good or bad.
1 Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Additional Resources:
Steven Furtick: Triggered Taking Back Your Mind in the Age of Anxiety
Beth Jones: Getting a Grip on the Basics is a great resource to help you get the basics of how vital you are to God and how good He desires to be to you
https://www.thebasicsuniversity.com
Joyce Meyer: The Mind is a Battlefield - https://joycemeyer.org
Prayer of Salvation
Jesus has given salvation, healing, and countless benefits to all who call upon His name. These benefits can be yours if you receive Him into your heart by saying this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner. Right now, I choose to turn away from sin, and I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I believe that Jesus rose again from the dead so that I may be justified and made righteous through faith in Him. I call upon the name of Jesus Christ to be the Savior and Lord of my life. Jesus, I choose to follow You, and I ask that You fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit. I declare right now that I am a born-again child of God. I am free from sin and full of the righteousness of God. I am saved in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This prayer and the comment above were taken out of the book:
Secrets to Powerful Prayer - Discovering the Languages of the Heart
By Lynne Hammond and Patsy Cameneti
If you have just received Jesus as your Savior, please write Lynne Hammond Ministries at:
PO Box 29469
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55429-2946
Or, email one of the ministries listed on the Additional Resources Tab and let them know that you are a brand-new Christian and need some direction on the next steps for your new life in Christ.
Or email us here at Heartfelt Conversations with Diana, and we will forward your information to you.
Congratulations if you are a brand new Christian or if you have Returned Home! Welcome!!! Get in God’s Word and get it into you.